Ludo Kressh Ludo Kressh was a male Sith Lord in the years leading up to and during the Great Hyperspace War , and was also the father of Kressh the Younger . Descended from a mixed ancestry of Dark Jedi and members of the Sith species , Ludo Kressh rose to be a powerful Sith Lord , all the while clashing with his greatest rival , fellow Sith Lord Naga Sadow . In 5000 BBY , Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos died , and both Kressh and Sadow angled for the title . Kressh led the deceased Dark Lord ' s funeral procession but was interrupted by the late arrival of Naga Sadow . Sadow proclaimed that the title of Dark Lord of the Sith was rightfully his , and an angered Kressh attacked him ; however , their duel was stopped by Ragnos ' ghost . After the fight , two outsiders landed in the middle of the funeral : hyperspace travelers Gav and Jori Daragon . Kressh feared that the siblings were precursors to an invasion by the Galactic Republic , while Sadow believed they were the key to expanding the Sith Empire ' s territory . Kressh and his rival disagreed repeatedly over the matter of the Daragons . Sadow , seeking to make his dream of a war with the Republic a reality , staged a false Republic attack on the Empire . Kressh was convinced at first and advocated bolstering the Empire ' s defenses against an impending Republic invasion . However , the Sith Lord soon discovered Sadow ' s treachery and along with his allies , attacked his fortress on the planet Khar Delba , but was subsequently outwitted and defeated by Sadow . Kressh then faked his death by sending his empty flagship toward Sadow ' s citadel , where it was shot down and destroyed . Without a strong opponent , Sadow — now the new Dark Lord — launched the Great Hyperspace War against the Republic . However , the Dark Lord returned to the Sith Empire with a diminished fleet after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Republic . It was then that Kressh revealed himself , telling Sadow that he had indeed faked his death . Battle ensued over Korriban , and Kressh at first seemed to have taken the upper hand against his weakened opponent . However , the ever - cunning Dark Lord ordered one of his doomed ships to make a suicide run on Kressh ' s flagship , and the collision killed Kressh . Biography . Early life . Ludo Kressh was born in the Sith Space area of the Outer Rim Territories and lived in the period of Sith history known as the Golden Age of the Sith . He was descended from a mixed ancestry consisting of the Sith species and dark side – following Jedi Knights . Those Jedi had first come to Sith Space after clashing with the Jedi Order at large in the Hundred - Year Darkness ; after they were defeated , the Dark Jedi , as they were known , fled into the Unknown Regions of the galaxy . Some Dark Jedi , such as Kressh ' s ancestors , intermarried and bred with native Sith . At some point , Kressh was discovered to be Force - sensitive and was trained in the dark side of the Force , eventually rising to be a powerful Sith Lord . He formed a rivalry with fellow Sith Lord Naga Sadow , with whom he clashed many times over the years . Ludo Kressh had a son , Elcho Kressh , whom the Sith Lord believed shared much of his own likeness . While he spent his days engaged in battle , the Sith Lord ' s nights were spent in his palace on the planet Rhelg where he labored endlessly on the creation of a magical device in the form of a Gauntlet that would potentially shield his son from all harm . He also employed an entire family of Human slaves to tend to his personal needs . As his slaves embraced the Sith teachings , they also increased in favor with him ; one such was a thirteen year - old Human girl named Seelah , whom Kressh allowed the privilege of caring for his feet . Though they had won his approval for all intents and purposes , Ludo Kressh ' s slaves were not above his wrath ; he frequently beat them while in the midst of drunken fits of rage . When Seelah failed to cure an infection which resulted from an injured ankle Kressh received in battle , the Sith Lord began executing her family , causing the Human to flee for her life . Arrival of the Daragons . In 5000 BBY , Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos died after more than a century of iron - handed rule . Ragnos ' funeral was held shortly after , with Kressh leading the funeral procession as they laid Ragnos to rest in a tomb in the Valley of the Dark Lords . Following the Sith traditions and rituals , Kressh carried Ragnos ' victory helmet , which he placed on Ragnos ' sarcophagus for him to wear during his battles in the afterlife . Naga Sadow arrived late to take what he felt was his rightful place in the funeral ' s procession as the tomb was being sealed , and a furious Kressh stated that Sadow ' s insolence had shamed the memory of Ragnos . Kressh believed that his rival ' s progressive views were a danger to the Sith ' s existence , while Sadow held that the title of Dark Lord of the Sith was rightfully his and that the Sith Empire had grown stagnant as a result of centuries of inactivity . The argument escalated into a duel , with Kressh initially driving Sadow back . Sadow eventually gained the upper hand after managing to stall Kressh using telekinesis . However , their battle was interrupted by the spirit of Marka Ragnos , who warned that the fate of the Sith Empire hung in the balance and advised the two to choose their battles wisely . Kressh offered to reconcile with Sadow after this encounter , but their discussion was cut short by the arrival of a foreign starship . The ship identified itself as the " Starbreaker 12 " , and its crew , Humans Gav and Jori Daragon , proclaimed that they had come in peace from the Galactic Republic . The pair was promptly taken into custody by Massassi guards , with Kressh telling Sadow that the two should be executed immediately . Sadow , however , believed that the two should be interrogated , thinking that they may have valuable information . The Daragons were jailed , and a council of ten Sith Lords was called to the Sith Citadel on Ziost to discuss the prisoners ' fate . Kressh contended that the two were spies for the Republic and the precursor to an invasion , and that they should be executed . Naga Sadow and an older Sith Lord , Simus , believed that the two had valuable information and should be kept alive . Although Kressh expressed that his route was safer for the general health of the Sith Empire , Sadow proclaimed that the Daragons provided a window for the Sith to expand their Empire and control the very galaxy itself . The meeting ended without a definite conclusion drawn , but Sadow had his own plans . The Sith Lord , along with Massassi warriors , attacked the prisoners ' guards and freed them from their jail cells . When the scene was discovered , Simus was found dead , with his head resting near a Republic blaster . The council of Sith Lords met again on Ziost after Simus ' death , and Kressh was irate ; he believed his fears of a Republic attack had been confirmed , that Simus had been killed by the Republic , and that the Sith Empire should bolster its defenses . Sadow , however , proclaimed that the time had come to fight back and pronounced himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith . The other Sith Lords agreed that Sadow should be Dark Lord ; a furious and shocked Kressh left , proclaiming that he would take his supporters and refuse to join in his enemy ' s crusade and that he would become the true Dark Lord . Battle of Khar Delba . Ludo Kressh subsequently sent Massassi guards to the " Starbreaker 12 " impound dock on Ziost to guard it . However , his guards were attacked and defeated by Massassi loyal to Naga Sadow . In his chambers , Kressh was alerted to the attack on the " Starbreaker 12 " , and believing that it was being attacked by the Republic , gathered his forces and rushed to the hangar . However , by the time Kressh arrived at the dock , the " Starbreaker 12 " had already been stolen by Sadow ' s forces . Kressh , observing the carnage in the hangar , found Naga Sadow ' s emblem amidst the Massassi corpses and realized that Sadow was responsible for the attack . Moreover , Sadow had been the one who had killed Simus , shooting him with the blaster and planting it at the scene to make it appear like a Republic assault . Kressh returned to Rhelg , where he met with two of his supporters , Horak - mul and Dor Gal - ram . He told them about the attack on the hangar and the theft of " Starbreaker 12 " and revealed to them Sadow ' s complicity in the attack . He then ordered Horak - mul and Gal - ram to gather their forces so they could make a surprise attack on Sadow , with Kressh vowing to stop his rival before it was too late . With the assault force prepared , Kressh commenced an attack on Sadow ' s fortress on the planet Khar Delba , taking the firing controls on his own ship so as to land a few personal hits . Commanding the attack , Kressh ordered his ships to attack and destroy Sadow . Horak - mul and Gal - ram were behind him fully , commenting that they had caught the Sith Lord with his guard down and that victory was inevitable . Sadow responded by ordering Massassi warriors to man the citadel ' s turrets . Kressh shrugged this off , believing that the turrets were Sadow ' s only defenses and that victory was assured . However , Sadow had deceived his enemy ; he had hidden a secret fleet of warships in orbit around Khar Delba ' s moon Khar Shian . Meanwhile , amidst the chaos of the battle , Naga Sadow allowed Jori Daragon to take control of the " Starbreaker 12 " and flee the Sith Empire . Daragon was able to evade Kressh ' s fleet and disappeared into hyperspace . After Daragon ' s escape , Kressh was caught off guard when Sadow ordered his secret fleet to attack . A taunting Sadow informed him that he had struck at the wrong fortress ; all of Sadow ' s defenses had been at Khar Shian . Sadow then set the next part of his plan in motion by ordering the Massassi crews of Horak - mul and Gal - ram ' s respective ships , who had secretly been loyal to him all along , to betray and attack their masters . The two Sith Lords were killed and their ships commandeered by Sadow ' s minions , who then attacked Kressh . The surprised Sith Lord ordered his intact ships to flee , thus signifying his defeat . Faking his death . After Kressh ' s retreat from Khar Delba , Naga Sadow began a vast militarization of the Sith in preparation for a war against the Galactic Republic . His victory over Kressh garnered him the support of the remaining Sith Lords , who pledged their fleets and armies to his cause . However , Kressh had a plan ; while the other Sith Lords met with Sadow on Khar Delba , Kressh sent his empty flagship to the planet . Kressh simultaneously transmitted a message to Sadow and his followers , proclaiming that the Dark Lord was leading them on a path of destruction . A confident Sadow ordered Gav Daragon , whom he had kept with him to become his Sith apprentice , to destroy the ship , seemingly killing Kressh . Little did they know , Kressh had actually faked his death , intending to claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith , for it would let him regroup , rearm , and attack Sadow when he was fully ready . Sadow soon launched his fleets , following a beacon he had placed on the " Starbreaker 12 " to find the Republic . His forces , upon reaching their destination , began the Great Hyperspace War . The Dark Lord attacked the Republic on two fronts : Koros Major , and the governmental capital of Coruscant , located in the Core Worlds . Ludo Kressh capitalized on Sadow ' s absence by gathering a fleet and declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith — he also forbade his son Elcho from participating in the conflict , and made his child wait out the conflict at a hidden location . The preliminary sorties of Sadow ' s war effort were initially successful , but the Republic was eventually able to drive back and defeat the Sith . He returned to his region of space defeated , with his fleet a shadow of what it had been before the war . Ludo Kressh revealed himself at that moment , proclaiming to Naga Sadow that he was the true Dark Lord of the Sith . Feeling victorious , a joyous Kressh declared that Sadow was the greatest threat that the Sith Empire had ever known and that he must be stopped . The new Dark Lord therefore banished Sadow from the Sith Empire forever . However , Sadow would not go down without a fight , and battle over Korriban quickly ensued . Sadow ' s already - diminished fleet found itself reduced even further during the conflagration , and Kressh appeared the victor ; however , the always - cunning Sadow knew there were other ways to win a battle . Finding himself with no other options , Sadow ordered one of his already - damaged ships to make a suicide run to collide with Kressh ' s flagship . The new Dark Lord protested to Sadow to stop the ship , but it was too late . The vessel crashed into Kressh ' s flagship , killing him . Legacy . After Kressh ' s defeat and death during the First Battle of Korriban , Sadow was attacked again by Republic forces that had followed him to the Sith Empire . Sadow was defeated in the battle , as his forces had already been greatly weakened after Kressh ' s assault in the first battle . After his death , Ludo Kressh was buried in a tomb cut into a shyrack cave in the Valley of the Dark Lords . In 3951 BBY , over a thousand years after the Sith Lord ' s death , the tomb was visited by the exiled Jedi Knight Meetra Surik . While in the chamber , Surik had several visions , including some of former Dark Lord of the Sith Revan and his former Sith apprentice , Darth Malak . Personality and traits . Unlike his rival and counterpart Naga Sadow , Ludo Kressh was a cautious man , one concerned with the safety and well - being of the Sith Empire . Kressh was content with the holdings of the Empire and feared that foraging into the wider galaxy and challenging the Republic would be disastrous for its health . Even when Sadow faked the Republic attack and theft of the " Starbreaker 12 " , Kressh was a staunch advocate for remaining in Sith Space and bolstering their defenses , unlike Sadow , who wanted the Empire to strike at the Republic . Kressh despised Sadow — whom he considered his greatest contender for the crown of Dark Lord of the Sith — with a passion . He saw his rival ' s more progressive views as potentially harmful for the welfare of the Sith Empire . Kressh believed that the Sith would be polluted by other species if the Empire moved past the Stygian Caldera , but would remain untainted if they kept their own region of space . Kressh had no reservations about clashing with Sadow through both words and in battle , but when the bold Sadow claimed the position of Dark Lord of the Sith , Kressh decided to break off the war of words and retreat to gather his followers . While Ludo Kressh cared little for his slaves , the safety of his young son was of primary concern . His alcohol abuse gave way to violence , and incompetence on the part of his servants incited murderous rampages . Kressh was also a very cunning man ; he tricked Sadow with his empty flagship and faked his death , then reemerged after the Sith defeat at the hands of the Republic in the Great Hyperspace War . Despite his wiles , Kressh was still outwitted by his rival on multiple occasions . During the Battle of Khar Delba , Kressh believed that he had caught his enemy off guard with a surprise attack on his fortress ; however , the fortress was a decoy , as Sadow ' s forces were massed at Khar Shian . After the secret fleet attacked , Kressh was outsmarted by Sadow , who had Horak - mul ' s and Dor Gal - ram ' s subordinates mutiny and betray their masters . Later , at the Battle of Korriban , Kressh was overjoyed at seemingly defeating the weakened Sith fleet ; however , Sadow turned the tables by targeting him with a doomed ship on a suicide run . Upon noticing the ship headed in the direction of his flagship , Kressh quickly lost his poise and begged Sadow to call off the ship , but to no avail . Powers and abilities . As a powerful Sith Lord , Kressh was trained and proficient in manipulating the dark side of the Force . Kressh possessed some knowledge of Sith alchemy and a working knowledge of Sith magic , the latter of which he used to construct a device that would protect his son from all harm . Kressh was capable of using the exotic Battlemind power , and was also able to augment his speed , strength , and ferocity by amplifying his rage through the Force . In battle , Kressh utilized a Sith war sword that he infused with the power of the Force before a duel . Kressh proved to be an equal in combat with his rival Naga Sadow , with both gaining the upper hand at different points in their duel on Korriban and suffering wounds of equal proportion to their opponent . Kressh was trilingual , as he was able to speak Galactic Basic Standard as well as the Sith and Massassi languages . Behind the scenes . Ludo Kressh first appeared in " " , a story arc of the " " comic series , which was written by Kevin J . Anderson and released in 1996 . He later appeared in " The Golden Age of the Sith " follow - up arc , " " , in which his character was killed . In these appearances , Kressh was illustrated by Dario Carrasco , Jr . During these two story arcs , Kressh played a major role , and his clash with Naga Sadow was a major storyline . He was seemingly killed off in " The Fall of the Sith Empire " first issue , " " . Although he returned in the arc ' s final issue , " " , which revealed that he had faked his death , he was later killed in that same issue . Kressh ' s tomb appears in " " , where the Jedi Exile , the main playable character , has the option to take Kressh ' s Sith war sword . In 2008 , Kressh received an entry in " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , and in 2012 his legacy was expanded in both and .