Darth Revan, a legendary Jedi-turned-Sith from Star Wars Legends, has been canonized in name through The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary. While his full story remains outside of official canon, hints in concept art, Jedi artifacts, and upcoming comics suggest his return may be near.
Few figures in the Star Wars mythos stir as much fascination and reverence as Darth Revan.
A warrior, a philosopher, and a symbol of the Force’s duality, Revan's story once stood proudly in the annals of Legends. And for years, fans questioned whether his name—and his story—would ever return to the official canon of the galaxy far, far away.
While Revan’s legacy has echoed through video games, novels, and the imaginations of millions, it wasn’t until recently that Lucasfilm began threading his name back into the tapestry of official Star Wars lore. But does that mean Darth Revan is truly canon?
Let’s explore every clue, every confirmation, and every mystery that surrounds the legacy of this enigmatic Sith-turned-Jedi.
The most definitive moment in the modern era came not in a film, but in a book—a single line tucked within the pages of The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary.
During Emperor Palpatine’s construction of the Final Order, legions of crimson-clad Sith troopers were each named after ancient Sith Lords. Among them stood “The 3rd: Revan Legion.”
It was brief. It was silent. But it was canon.
This officially marked the name “Darth Revan” as part of Star Wars’ modern continuity. His name joined others—Andeddu, Tanis, Tenebrous, Phobos, and Desolous—etched into the hierarchy of Palpatine’s shadow army on Exegol. Though the film never references these names aloud, the Visual Dictionary solidified them as real within the timeline of the saga.
And yet, it was only a name.
The dictionary noted that the significance of these Sith Lords was known only to the Sith Eternal cultists. To the galaxy at large—and even to the Jedi—Revan remained a forgotten shadow, a relic understood perhaps only by Palpatine himself.
Before Revan’s name appeared in The Rise of Skywalker, fans had already caught wind of something intriguing.
In The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker kept a trove of ancient artifacts in his hut on Ahch-To. Among them was a pendant holding a cracked, red lightsaber crystal.
According to the film’s Visual Dictionary, the pendant belonged to a Jedi Crusader—an ancient warrior from the earliest days of the Jedi Order. Fans of Knights of the Old Republic recognized the term immediately. Revan’s earliest followers were known as the Revanchists, or Jedi Crusaders.
It was not a confirmation. But it was a whisper. And in Star Wars, whispers often lead to something more.
Though the final version of The Rise of Skywalker left much on the cutting room floor, its concept art revealed a deeper story. One piece of discarded design work described carvings etched into the Sith Temple on Exegol—reliefs of ancient Sith Lords etched in stone.
Among them? Darth Revan, Darth Malak, Darth Nihilus, and Tulak Hord.
While these carvings never made it into the film, their planned inclusion suggests that Lucasfilm was not simply tossing out Revan’s name for flavor. There was intent—perhaps even a roadmap. Though never seen on screen, the mural adds weight to Revan’s presence in canon-adjacent material.
Before we look toward what might be, we must revisit what once was.
In the Legends timeline, Revan’s saga begins not in darkness, but in duty.
A defiant Jedi Knight during the Mandalorian Wars, his lightsaber in hand, Revan rejected the Jedi Council’s passivity and led his own crusade to protect the Republic.
He defeated Mandalore the Ultimate in single combat, donning a warrior's mask to honor the fallen. But war left scars, and soon, Revan fell.
Corrupted by the Sith Emperor Vitiate, Revan became a Dark Lord, alongside his apprentice Darth Malak. The two waged war against the Jedi, only for Revan to later be betrayed, captured, and redeemed. From Jedi to Sith, and back again, his path was unlike any other.
In time, Revan confronted the Emperor again, this time split in two—his dark and light sides battling within. Only when united in spirit did Revan finally find peace, becoming one with the Force.
This tale, rich and deeply philosophical, captured the hearts of fans and established Revan as a symbol of balance—neither wholly Jedi nor Sith.
Today, the Revan Legion is canon. The name is canon. But the man? His mask, his deeds, his war, his redemption?
Not yet.
Still, signs point forward. The Darth Vader comic series, particularly issue #11, places the Dark Lord within the ruins of the Exegol Sith Temple—possibly the very place that once bore carvings of Revan and his peers.
Should Vader encounter murals, records, or Force echoes of these ancient lords, a deeper tie to Revan could be drawn. With comics firmly within Disney’s canon, even a brief visual or reference could shift the needle.
Revan’s influence also fits neatly into the wider galaxy. As Disney pushes into new eras—the High Republic, The Acolyte, or potential Old Republic content—there is ample room for ancient figures like Revan to return not just in name, but in narrative.
Revan’s tale is one of transformation. He is not a conventional hero. He is not a conventional villain. He represents the Force in its rawest form—conflicted, fluid, powerful. He questions the binary structure of Jedi and Sith, a theme more relevant than ever in today’s evolving Star Wars storytelling.
His presence would not only enrich the lore but also bridge generations of storytelling—bringing together fans of the Old Republic, players of the legendary BioWare game, and viewers of Disney’s cinematic future.
As it stands today, Darth Revan’s name echoes through canon, whispered in the dark corridors of Exegol. It is a beginning—not an end. Lucasfilm has acknowledged the name, laid breadcrumbs in visual dictionaries, and sculpted his image into unused concept art.
Whether that story will be told in a game, a comic, or a series remains unknown.
But in a galaxy that never forgets its legends, and where the Force binds all time together, it may only be a matter of time before Revan walks again.
