Desann

Originating from a planet where the Force was considered foreign and unusual, Desann was ostracized by his people. He lived a solitary and miserable existence until a trader discovered him and brought him to Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum located on Yavin 4.

Subsequently, Desann became Skywalker's Jedi apprentice, finally experiencing a sense of belonging. However, the late start to his Jedi training could not tame his untamed nature that had developed during his difficult early years. As his Force powers grew, he became increasingly difficult to manage and began to intimidate his fellow Jedi. Havet Storm, a fellow Jedi, confronted him about his bullying, declaring that he was "too weak to be a Jedi," a brave statement that led to Storm's demise. This event caused Desann to turn to the dark side of the Force, and he fled the Academy before the other Jedi could offer guidance.

Desann allied himself with Admiral [Galak Fyyar] (/article/galak_fyyar) of the Imperial splinter faction known as the Empire Reborn. Fyyar introduced him to his secret master, the former Procurator of Justice, Lord Hethrir. Overcoming his xenophobia, Hethrir appointed Desann as his second-in-command, entrusting him with the training of several of Hethrir's Empire Youths: Force-sensitive individuals who had demonstrated loyalty to the Empire Reborn and had undergone "purification" by the extradimensional entity Waru. Desann selected one of the Youths, Tavion Axmis, to be his apprentice.

In addition to training the talented, Desann experimented with granting Force-weak Human Empire Youths (chosen by Hethrir based on racial ideology rather than practicality) dark side abilities, utilizing Artusian crystals and Sith alchemical knowledge. Hethrir also tasked him with locating the legendary Valley of the Jedi, a Force nexus that would further empower their apprentices. To achieve this sinister plan, his forces seized Artus Prime, the source of the crystals. New Republic agents Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors were dispatched by Mon Mothma to investigate, and Ors was captured. Desann decided to exploit her capture: Katarn and Ors were the only ones aware of the Valley's location, and Katarn had severed his connection to the Force due to his fear of the Dark Side. When Kyle attempted to rescue his partner, Desann intervened, easily defeating Kyle using the Force, subjecting Katarn to a Force Grip. Desann then instructed Tavion to execute their prisoner. However, this was merely a ploy to enrage Katarn; Ors was kept aboard the Remnant flagship, the Doomgiver.

Believing his partner to be dead, Katarn sought vengeance and journeyed to Ruusan to reconnect with the Force at the Valley's nexus; however, Desann was tracking him. After Katarn's departure, the Dark Jedi brought his group of Empire Youth students to absorb the Valley's power, creating an army of dark warriors known as the Reborn. He also brought along a small contingent of his stormtroopers, who were transformed into shadowtroopers, Force-sensitive soldiers equipped with lightsabers and encased in cortosis armor enhanced by Artusian crystals.

After obtaining the Valley's coordinates from Katarn, Luke Skywalker went to investigate the site. With the assistance of Rogue Squadron, the New Republic drove Desann's forces away from the Valley. Desann retreated to the Cairn Installation in the Lenico Belt, where the Doomgiver was docked. Katarn and Skywalker then infiltrated the installation. When Kyle breached the Doomgiver's bridge, Desann launched a surprise assault on Skywalker. Luke engaged his former student in a duel in the docking bay but was Force Pushed into a vulnerable position and trapped by debris caused by Desann's saber throw. Although Luke was unharmed, Desann managed to board the Doomgiver and set course for his ultimate target.

Desann then attacked the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. Despite Rogue Squadron's efforts, Desann successfully landed with the majority of his forces, and the army advanced on the Academy from three different directions. Desann and a small group of his followers fought their way into the heart of the Academy, leaving his subordinates to contend with New Republic troops and Jedi. The Dark Jedi Master entered the tunnels beneath the Great Temple, seeking the underground Force nexus. Kyle Katarn followed closely, and Desann employed various traps and illusions to elude the Jedi.

Eventually, Desann successfully absorbed the power of the Force nexus before being confronted by Katarn. Proclaiming a new future for the galaxy, Desann was surprised to learn that Katarn had helped destroy the Doomgiver and most of the forces aboard, including Galak Fyyar. When Katarn revealed that even the elite shadowtroopers had fallen to the Academy's true Jedi, Desann realized he had underestimated Kyle. Desann attempted to convert Katarn to his cause but received a counter-offer: Kyle invited Desann to return to the Jedi. Enraged, Desann engaged Katarn in a duel, only to discover that his adversary's skill and power had surpassed his own. The duel concluded when Katarn struck down the Dark Jedi, looking with sadness at his lifeless body.

Some of the Reborn who served under Desann later joined the Disciples of Ragnos, led by Desann's former apprentice, Tavion Axmis.

Desann typically employed a variation of the Strong style in lightsaber combat, leveraging the natural strength and reach afforded by his imposing Chistori physique. After embracing the dark side, he would use Dun Möch, attempting to demoralize his opponents with taunts and deceptive tactics.

In addition to his considerable skill as a saber duelist, he was highly proficient in Force Grip, the Jedi Mind trick, Force Illusion, and Force lightning, as well as telekinetically launching his lightsaber. A significant combat advantage possessed by the Dark Jedi was the size of his lightsaber. Its dimensions were tailored to Desann's height and build, but its length and beam width made it a challenging weapon to block due to its exceptional reach.

The voice of Desann was provided by Mark Klastorin.

In the finale of Jedi Outcast, there exist several methods for defeating Desann. One involves besting him in a duel (utilizing a combination of Force speed and Fast style proves effective, as does Strong style while Force Pushing him to the ground, although he may deflect the push, exclaiming, "You dare to push me!?"). Another strategy entails provoking him into lunging at you by using Force lightning while positioned near a pillar. As he leaps towards you, use saber throw on the pillar and quickly move away. Once clear of the area where debris begins to fall, Desann will attempt to follow you but will be crushed by the falling debris. This requires precise timing. A third option involves using a Portable Missile System, but he may deflect the missile. The fourth method involves employing the Flechette Launcher. While he may deflect some of the flechettes, some will invariably hit him; repeat this process as necessary to defeat him without drawing your lightsaber. Maintaining distance and attacking Desann with Force Speed when he throws his saber, leaving himself vulnerable, can also be effective. Another path to victory, although requiring the use of a cheat code to maximize Force stats, involves mind controlling Desann into standing in front of a pillar and using saber throw to bring it down on him. This can be accomplished from the player's starting position in the battle room without ever engaging Desann in close combat.

During the final battle of Jedi Outcast, the player has the option to manually activate the Force nexus within the temple underground. A beam periodically charges up within the nexus. If the player enters the beam, Katarn becomes invulnerable for a brief period, gaining an advantage over Desann. However, if Desann, controlled by the computer AI, enters the beam, he also gains invulnerability for a short duration.

In Jedi Outcast, the fighting moves between Desann and Luke Skywalker before landing on the main floor during their duel in the Cairn Installation are randomized, resulting in a unique fighting sequence with each loading. This can sometimes lead to one duelist being struck down prematurely, even though the cutscene continues as normal.

In Jedi Outcast, Jan Ors revealed that shortly after her capture, Desann shifted the interrogation focus from the location of the Valley to the layout of the Jedi Academy. However, as a former student of the Academy, Desann should have had a superior understanding of the layout compared to a New Republic intelligence operative. A possible explanation is that Desann may have wanted to verify certain details, check for any changes, or he may have forgotten specific aspects of the Academy.

In the sequel to Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, players can choose to play as Desann in the game's multiplayer mode. In the PC version of both games, players can also spawn him (and subsequently fight him) in the game's single player mode using the cheat code: npc spawn desann.

It's worth noting that in Jedi Academy, Desann does not speak at all, as his voice files are absent from the game's files. He also appears shorter in Jedi Academy. In the multiplayer mode, he uses the voice of a cultist.

During the initial (and unwinnable) fight with Desann in Jedi Outcast, he uses the Force noticeably faster than he does later in the game, often simultaneously employing multiple powers. His Force abilities are also more potent, particularly Push, Pull, and Grip. His Force Push and Pull are capable of launching the player outside the level with the correct positioning. He is also immune to Force lightning and cannot be Force Gripped, pushing the player away each time. At this stage of the game, Desann has infinite health; it is impossible to defeat him, regardless of the player's skill, to prevent the story from ending prematurely.