Oryx, the Taken King

> "Rest with your pitiful victory for now, Spawn of Revan. In time my army shall come, and when we do... your galaxy will burn!"
> ― Oryx, to Jarik Shan
>
>

**Oryx, the Taken King**, born **Aurash** and formerly known as **Auryx**, was the sovereign of the Osmium Throne, the God-King of the Hive, and master of the Taken. Reborn from the Darkness itself through a wicked pact, Oryx was the founder of the Yuuzhan Vong race, alongside his sisters and fellow deities, Savathûn, the Witch-Queen and Xivu Arath, God of War, and the source of their terrible power. Of all the Hive gods, he alone held the power to bend other races to his will, having stolen the ability upon slaying his patron god Akka, the Worm of Secrets. Oryx was also the father of the dreaded Crota, a deadly Hive Prince who slew thousands of Guardians during the Great Disaster, and Nokris, his estranged first-born and then herald of the Worm God Xol, Will of the Thousands.

At some point during their eons of conquest and bloodlust, Oryx's fleet of Hive came across the Andromeda galaxy after being drawn there by a mystical power which held dominion over it. Curious, Oryx went to investigate the energy-field and encountered the two Sith Lords, Darth Revan and Darth Malak, and Revan's assassin droid HK-47. Although he was unable to Take the two Sith, they were forced to flee due to the sheer might and power which Oryx and his forces possessed. Afterward, Oryx sought to conquer the entirety of the galaxy in hopes of Taking its power for himself. He was at first reluctant to invade due to the vast strength of the Andromeda galaxy's differing factions, and instead settled for waiting patiently until the right time came, secretly establishing a blockade around the borders of the galaxy in the meantime.

During the Imperial era, over three thousand years after first discovering Andromeda, Oryx revealed his presence again in a deadly strike that obliterated an entire fleet of warships. He also encountered three Jedi—one of which being Jarik Shan, a descendant of the Sith Lord he fought several millennia earlier—who came to rescue the Admiral of the destroyed fleet. Oryx pursued their ship using an Echo, but was surprised when he was stopped by a blast of Force energy strong enough to destroy his Echo—he recognized the energy to have come from the power of Ashla. Although he planned to hold off on his invasion until the Empire was destroyed, Oryx nevertheless encountered Shan once more after sending a force of Yuuzhan Vong led by Narzuc, the Hunter to the planet Atollon in pursuit of three Autobots, using his Echo to taunt Shan about his inevitable razing of the Andromeda galaxy.

## **Personality and traits**

> "The only way to make something good is to make something that can’t be broken. And the only way to do that is to try to break everything. I’m glad I learned that the universe runs on death. It’s more beautiful to know."
> ― Oryx, the Taken King
>
>

As the god-king of the Yuuzhan Vong, Oryx was a very cruel and bloodthirsty being. Originally, as Auryx, he was a bit more benevolent, as he was willing to negotiate with the Ammonite civilization, but after he was killed by his sister, Savathûn, and sent to his throne world, he purged all of his remaining sympathy and goodwill and became a merciless tyrant. Oryx fiercely worshiped the Sword-Logic, the religious philosophy of the Hive, and was more than willing to exile his own son, Nokris, for his practice of necromancy.

While craving violence and bloodlust like all other Hive, Oryx could also be very patient as well, as he was willing to prolong his invasion of the Andromeda galaxy for years in order to ensure his conquest would be successful.

## **Powers and abilities**

> "He wields power on a scale greater than any Jedi or Sith has ever achieved throughout all of galactic history, so much so that even the Emperor would be child's play in comparison."
> ― Jarik Shan
>
>

*(to be added)*

## **Appearances**

* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 1: Beginnings* — "Chapter 4: Introductions" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 34: Forbidden Friendship" (first appearance) (vision to Jarik Shan)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 35: Testing & Mysteries" (indirect mention only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 45: The Nest" (vision to Jarik Shan)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 54: Catching Up" (vision to Jarik Shan)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 55: Dealing With It" (dream to Jarik Shan)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 59: Returning to the Rebellion" (indirect mention only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 64: Gundark in the Room" (vision to Jarik Shan)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 68: Worries" (indirect mention only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 69: Alvin and the Outcasts" (indirect mention only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 70: Tale of the King" (first identified as Oryx, the Taken King) (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 71: How to Resist a Force User" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 72: Always Two There Are" (indirect mention only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 76: Getting Closer" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 77: Blood Sisters" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 78: Stealth Strike" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 79: Darkness is Growing" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 81: Dangerous Curiosity" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 82: The Dreadnaught"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 83: The Daring Escape" (main story and recap)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 85: As Time Flies By" (vision to Jarik Shan)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 87: Destiny is Confusing" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 4: A Jedi in Exile* — "Chapter 88: Shroud of Darkness Pt 1" (mentioned only)
* *Sun and Moon* — "Welcome to Tynoli" (mentioned only)
* *Sun and Moon* — "A Taboo Proposal" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 9: Steps into Shadow Pt 2" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 13: The Extraction" (voice only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 19: Judgement of Soul" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 24: Restarting a Cruiser" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 33: Peace, Quiet, and Augury" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 35: Thrawn's Dilemma" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 39: His Mandalorian Past"
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 53: Terror From beyond" (vision to Jarik Shan)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 54: Zero Hour Pt 1" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 67: The Deal" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 68: Wolves of Dume Pt 1" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 69: Wolves of Dume Pt 2" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 72: World Between Worlds" (mentioned only)
* *Legacy of Jarik Shan - Volume 5: Rebirth* — "Chapter 74: Taking a Gamble" (indirect mention only)
* *The Shan Bloodline - Volume 1: The Taken War* (will appear)
* *Destiny: A New Legacy* (will appear)

### **Non-canon appearances**

* *The Legend of Reylea - Volume 2: Mysteries of Reylea* — "Chapter 5: Going More Public" (mentioned only)

## **Sources and copyrights**

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