Korriban zombie Korriban zombies , also known as Korriban Sith zombies , were semi - sentient , undead humanoid predators native to the Sith tombworld Korriban . Originally created prior to 7000 BBY by Sith King Dathka Graush ' s experiments using Sith alchemy and magic to reanimate corpses , the creatures were soon discovered to be capable of creating more of their kind by biting living sentient beings . After a tumultuous fifty - year reign , Graush was assassinated , and the spirits animating the zombies were collected in a crystal that was buried with him in his tomb located in Korriban ' s Valley of Golg . For the next seven millennia , the zombies served as guardians of the tombs of the Sith Lords in both the Valley of Golg and the Valley of the Dark Lords . The creatures laid dormant for extended periods of time , and were only awakened by the commands of the deceased Sith Lords ' spirits or the disturbance of Graush ' s crystal in order to eliminate any intruders or would - be tomb robbers . The zombies ' limited intelligence allowed them to wield weapons , and this attribute , coupled with their intimidating presence , ensured that few sentients prevailed during an encounter with the creatures . In 3997 BBY , self - declared Jedi Knight Exar Kun survived an encounter with the guardian zombies while exploring the Valley of the Dark Lords , as did a group of Jedi Knights and their respective Padawans nearly four millennia after Kun , during their pursuit of a galactic criminal . A subsequent encounter with the creatures occurred six months before the Battle of Yavin , when a pirate vessel crash - landed near the Valley of Golg . Biology and appearance . Korriban zombies , also called Korriban Sith zombies , referred to the name given to the first corpses of sentient beings that had been reanimated after death by Sith King Dathka Graush ' s experiments with Sith alchemy and magic . At some later point , mechanical techniques were added to the process . As time progressed , it became apparent that these humanoids were capable of creating more of their kind through biting their victims . These wounds became infected with Sith alchemical elements that would induce transformation into the undead . The zombies ' physical appearances varied widely , depending on their former species and gender . Moreover , their original features were distorted depending on damage sustained during battle and by the ravages of time , as the zombies were capable of laying dormant for extended durations . There had been accounts of beings who had been felled during battle and had risen almost immediately with missing limbs and massive gaping wounds . Others had observed that the zombies were little more than half - rotted husks that emanated a horrid stench and moved with an odd shuffling gait . With the metamorphosis into a zombie , the creature gained heightened visual acuity in the dark and strength superior to that of living beings . Furthermore , it was impossible to halt a zombie ' s advance with normal physical damage . The only ways of destroying a zombie was massive trauma to the head , such as blaster fire , or severing the head from the rest of the body . Behavior and intelligence . The process of transforming into a zombie negated the impact of former attributes — except in retaining some basic skills , such as weapons aptitude — thus , reducing a sentient being into a semi - sentient predatory creature . The creature was left with an overwhelming need to feed on the flesh of living sentient beings , although the zombie was able to dampen its appetite with bodies buried in the tombs . When presented with the opportunity to feed on living flesh , a zombie worked relentlessly to make the kill . Its limited intelligence allowed it to wield blaster pistols and thermal detonators , among other weapons , depending on its former species . Quite often , the intended victim was paralyzed with fear due to the zombie ' s terrifying presence , thus inadvertently facilitating his or her own death . History . Origin . Sometime before the year 7000 BBY , the Sith King Dathka Graush and his forces were the victors in one of Korriban ' s cyclical civil wars , and during his fifty - year reign over Korriban — one that the Sith considered to be full of terror and cruelty , even by their own standards — a substantial amount of corpses accumulated . Due in part to the sheer amount of raw material available to him , Graush ' s experiments with Sith alchemy and magic led to his discovery of a method of reanimating these corpses , thus forming a zombie army . Furthermore , during this time , Graush , using Sith magic and the most advanced technologies , had his heart replaced with a dark side , Force - sensitive crystal jewel that was imbued with over a thousand Sith spirits . After Graush was later assassinated , the spirits of his zombie army were captured in his heart , and the crystal was buried along with Graush ' s mummified remains in his tomb in Korriban ' s Valley of Golg . The zombies laid dormant for extended periods of time , only awakening when a being touched Graush ' s heart , releasing their spirits . The spirits then searched for their former bodies and new victims to infect . Guardian of the tombs . Three millennia later , Jedi Knight Exar Kun — under guidance from the spirit of deceased Dark Lord Freedon Nadd — arrived on Korriban during his search for the knowledge and power possessed by the ancient Sith Lords . Kun ' s explorations of the planet led him to the Valley of the Dark Lords — a valley of burial tombs and temples — where he came upon scattered bones , the wreckage of a starship , and skeletons of long - dead space pirates ; Kun surmised that he had found the remnants of tomb robbers . Nadd ' s spirit appeared at Kun ' s side and disclosed that Kun was seeing the remains of those who violated the will of the Dark Lords and their resting place . The spirit further explained that any being entering the domain of the Dark Lords was doomed to remain . Moments later , dark side energies — created by magic and machines at the time of the building of the tombs — whirled around the corpses , reanimating them . The zombies advanced on Kun , calling him a defiler and stating that they were the guardians of the tombs . As their attack began in earnest , the zombies claimed that no one was allowed to interrupt the sleep of the Dark Lords of the Sith . Nadd ' s spirit counseled Kun to take refuge in the Great Temple located nearby to escape the zombies and continue his investigation . In the ensuing millennia , vague rumors passed amongst galactic spacers claiming that Sith alchemy could be used to reanimate corpses , and that Korriban zombies occasionally dispatched unlucky freighter crews . In 23 BBY , a group of four Jedi Knights and their respective Padawans , which included Obi - Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker , were forced to battle Korriban zombies during their pursuit of galactic criminal Granta Omega . Due in part to his obsession with the Sith and his hatred of the Jedi , Omega had obtained the support of a mysterious Sith Lord in his endeavors to destroy the Jedi Order and wreak havoc within the Galactic Republic . Once the connection between the two had been discovered by the Jedi , Omega traveled to the Valley of the Dark Lords to meet with his Sith benefactor , the Jedi in pursuit . Having tracked Omega to one of the tomb s , Kenobi and Skywalker , at the forefront of the search , plunged deeper into the tomb while the other Jedi were held up near the entrance . Soon , the two were assaulted by a horrific stench mere moments before the Korriban zombies lurched out of the depths of the tomb and charged . Skywalker had been momentarily stunned by the appearance of the zombies , having read about the undead but never expecting to encounter them . The Sith Lord had reawakened the zombies to guard the tombs — considered to be sacred Sith ground — and to defend Omega and his partner in crime , Jenna Zan Arbor . The creatures attacked the Jedi viciously with blasters and detonators . Kenobi and Skywalker made their way determinedly through the undead , deflecting blaster fire with their lightsabers , avoiding the detonators , and eliminating the reanimated corpses in their path , and continued their chase for Omega while the other Jedi destroyed the remaining zombies . Reawakened master . Sometime after the year 11 ABY , Jedi Master Luke Skywalker — founder of the New Jedi Order during the time of the New Republic — sent Jedi researchers to investigate the ancient Sith homeworld of Korriban . While searching the tomb of Dathka Graush , the researchers discovered a set of recorded logs belonging to a missing pirate freighter named " Jynni ' s Virtue " that identified a subsequent encounter with Korriban zombies . According to the logs — the time codes on the logs indicating that the first recording had been made exactly six months before the Battle of Yavin — the freighter had been disabled by an Imperial scout patrol and had been forced to make a crash - landing on the planet , near the Valley of Golg . The captain of " Jynni ' s Virtue " , Naz Felyood , explored the valley in search of treasure to plunder and came across Graush ' s tomb . Determining that Graush ' s sarcophagus most likely contained great treasure , the Captain removed the Heart of Graush from its resting place . Felyood became possessed by the spirit of Dathka Graush , thereby reawakening the zombie army that was now under his control . Felyood sent the undead to lay siege to the " Virtue " , and , soon after , First Mate Babbnod Luroon realized that she and the remainder of the crew were unlikely to survive . Luroon ordered Deksi Fivvl , the ship ' s engineer , to rig the " Virtue " engines to blow up the freighter . The resulting explosion destroyed the majority of the zombies laying siege to " Jynni ' s Virtue " , as well as disintegrating the vessel and crew . In addition to finding the recordings , the Jedi researchers found a brief hand - written message believed to be penned by Naz Felyood . In the letter , Felyood recounted the destruction of the " Virtue " and his subsequent loss of the Heart of Graush . As such , he was no longer possessed by the spirit of Graush ; however , he was cursed to wander Korriban , forever immortal , in search of the jewel . The researchers were unable to find any evidence of the Heart or the zombie army and considered the return of Graush ' s zombie army a threat to anyone who would have landed on the planet . Many also considered it fortunate that Emperor Palpatine — the Sith Lord ruler of the Galactic Empire — had never discovered the secrets to creating or reawakening the undead , thereby leaving the zombies confined to Korriban . Behind the scenes . Notable appearances and development . Korriban zombies made their first appearance in the " " comic , the third issue of the " " story arc , published by Dark Horse Comics in 1994 . The zombies were not specifically named in this issue , however ; they were referred to only as guardian spirits . In the of the " Dark Lords of the Sith " story arc , published in early 1995 , the zombies only received a mention as guardian creatures in the introductory synopsis . The release of the " Dark Lords of the Sith " in 2005 reinforced the zombies ' role as guardians . The third and fourth issues of the " Dark Lords of the Sith " story arc did not originally state the exact location of where Exar Kun had encountered the zombies . With the release of the " " comic in late 1995 , the location was established ; the caption of an image depicting the Great Temple — seen in both " Empire ' s End 2 " and " Descent to the Dark Side " — stated that the temple was located in the Valley of the Dark Lords . In 2008 , " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " identified the guardian creatures of the " Dark Lords of the Sith " as Korriban zombies by publishing an image of one of the " Dark Lords of the Sith " creatures under the Korriban zombie entry . In 2003 , the Wizards of the Coast " Planet Hoppers " roleplaying web supplement " " first identified Korriban zombies by name . In addition to presenting detailed characteristics and a history of the zombies , this supplement also provided " Korriban Sith zombie " as an alternate name for the creatures . The zombies made their final appearance to date in 2004 ' s " " , the last novel of the " Jedi Quest " young reader series . In 2009 , the zombies were mentioned in " The Essential Atlas " , under the Korriban planet entry . Inconsistencies . A continuity inconsistency seems to exist concerning the origin of the Korriban zombies that has not been explained as of yet in " Star Wars " canon . " Korriban : Planet of Lost Souls " and " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " both state that the zombies originated in the Valley of Golg , one of Korriban ' s many burial valleys . Furthermore , these two sources claim that the zombies were under the control of the Heart of Graush , located in the Valley of Golg , and would be awakened only when this jewel was disturbed . However , " Dark Lords of the Sith " and " Jedi Quest " place the zombies in Korriban ' s Valley of the Dark Lords , without any mention of being under the control of the Heart of Graush .