| “ | Ulic may no longer have been able to touch the Force, but he understood it more than any of us. He had the heart of a Jedi. | „ |
| ~ Vima Sunrider talking about the redemption of her master, Ulic Qel-Droma. |
Ulic Qel-Droma is one of the main protagonists of the Old Republic Era of the Star Wars franchise, serving as the main protagonist of the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comic series.
He was a legendary and immensely powerful Jedi Knight who lived 4,000 years before the events of the films. He was the brother Cay Qel-Droma, peer of Tott Doneeta, student of Jedi Master Arca Jeth and the lover of first Nomi Sunrider. After his fall to the dark side, he became the lover of Aleema Keto and the apprentice of Exar Kun as a Sith, serving as his Shadow Hand.
Qel-Droma lived a turbulent life marked by both heroism and villainy. He began as a Jedi dedicated to the light who fought against the spread of the dark side, most notably during the Naddist Uprising. However, he later became corrupted when he attempted to infiltrate the dark side Krath cult and then became a Sith Lord under Exar Kun. As Shadow Hand of the Sith Empire, Qel-Droma committed many war crimes throughout the Great Sith War. It was not until he killed Cay that he realized how far he had fallen. He lost his connection to the Force and he aided the Jedi and the Republic to defeat Exar Kun before going into exile to atone for his sins.
History[]
Ulic Qel-Droma and his younger brother Cay were born on the planet Alderaan over 4,000 years before the Battle of Yavin. The Force is strong in their family, and they come from a long line of Jedi. Their mother, Lien-Tsai Qel-Droma, was a powerful Jedi Master. They were apprenticed to famous Jedi Master Arca Jeth, alongside the Twi'lek Totts Doneeta. Under Arca Jeth, the three apprentices grew wise and powerful, with Ulic becoming the strongest of them all.
As Padawans, Master Jeth dispatched his students to investigate the civil war on Onderon between the Royal Family and the Beast Riders, as he sensed the dark side. Initially fighting the Beast Riders, it is eventually revealed that the current Onderon Royal Family is made up of dark side sorcerers who are descended from the Sith Lord Freedon Nadd. Together, along with the aid of Master Jeth and Nomi Sunrider, the Naddists led by Queen Amanoa and King Ommin were defeated, with Ulic personally killing the Dark Jedi warrior Warb Null. The Beast Wars ended with the marriage of the new Onderon queen to the leader of the Beast Riders. Ulic and Nomi also became lovers.
When the dark side was sensed in the Krath cult of the Empress Teta system, Ulic and his allies attempted to attack it, which failed and resulted in the death of Master Arca Jeth, which devastated Ulic. After this, Ulic decided to infiltrate the cult to destroy it from within. Despite warnings from his family and friends, Ulic nonetheless continued. The plan failed horribly, as Ulic was seduced by the dark side sorceress Aleema Keto and turned to the dark side. Ulic became a warlord for the Empress Teta system alongside its rulers Aleema and her cousin Satal Keto. Eventually, Ulic came face-to-face with another fallen Jedi, Exar Kun. The two began a vicious lightsaber duel until the spirit of the ancient Dark lord Marka Ragnos materialized. The spirit named them both Sith Lords, with Exar Kun as the Dark Lord and Ulic as his apprentice. Together, the two sought to conquer the galaxy under a Sith Empire.
While Exar Kun dedicated to corrupting Jedi to his Brotherhood of the Sith, Ulic Qel-Droma focused on building up their military forces, most notably bringing the Mandalorians to their side. Qel-Droma led a brutal attack on Coruscant but was betrayed by Aleema and captured. During his trial for war crimes, Qel-Droma was freed by Exar Kun. Later on, at the Battle of Ossus, Ulic and Cay fought, ending with Ulic killing Cay. As Ulic was horrified at what he had done, Nomi used the power of the Force to permanently sever Ulic's connection to the Force. Ulic felt deep remorse and guilt for killing his brother, and helped the Republic end Exar Kun's Sith Empire.
After this, Ulic went into self-exile out of shame for his countless crimes across the galaxy. After many years, Nomi's daughter, Vima, tracked him down and found him, wishing for him to train her in the ways of the Jedi. Although reluctant, Ulic ultimately gave in. Through his training of Vima, Ulic started to feel at peace again. Thsi training was disrupted by Sylvar, a Jedi who wanted revenge on Ulic for his actions as a Sith Lord. While his connection to the Force was severed, his lightsaber skills remained. During their duel, Ulic talked to Sylvar and successfully managed to free her from her anger. Through this final act, Ulic redeemed himself. It did not last long, unfortunately, as Ulic was shot in the chest by the spacer Hoggon, who wanted to become famous. As he lay dying, he begged Nomi for forgiveness, to which she said she already had. He then gave Vima his necklace, thanking her for helping him find peace before finally passing away, his body vanishing as he became one with the Force.
Personality[]
As a young Jedi, Ulic Qel-Droma was noted as brave, loyal and pure hearted, but also impulsive, headstrong and somewhat arrogant. Despite this, he was extremely dedicated to the Jedi cause, having deep respect for other Jedi, particularly his Master, Arca Jeth. He was also a compassionate and loving friend, as seen with his love for his brother Cay and his lover Nomi. He was also utterly fearless, which was both a strength and a weakness. This is seen when he attempted to infiltrate the dark side cult the Krath, which failed and he was corrupted.
After falling to the dark side, Ulic Qel-Droma changed almost completely. He became ruthless, cruel, megalomaniacal and bloodthirsty. As a Sith, he was a brutal and vicious warlord who committed various war crimes across the galaxy and participated in many bloody battles. Despite this, he managed to be a skilled tactician and charismatic leader, uniting the Krath and Mandalorians to his cause. When placed on trial for his crimes, Ulic was completely unrepentant for his acts. It was not until he killed Cay that he realized how bad he became, resulting in him leaving the Sith, aiding the Republic and going into exile after losing his Force powers.
After killing Cay and losing his Force powers, Ulic became a broken man. He was empty, hollow, and utterly consumed by grief, shame, remorse and self-loathing. His confidence, fearlessness was also shattered. It was not until he began training Vima Sunrider that he began to show signs of his old self.
Powers & Skills[]
Regarded as the most powerful Jedi Knight of his time, Ulic Qel-Droma possessed immense power in the Force and was highly skilled in lightsaber combat. His master, Arca Jeth, acknowledged Ulic as his most gifted student. His power was such that his presence could be sensed across the galaxy, and he is widely considered one of the most powerful Force users who ever lived. Exar Kun, the greatest duelist and strongest Force user of the time, saw Ulic as the only being in the galaxy who could challenge him.
He was an exceptional duelist and combatant, having defeated skilled fighters such as Warb Knull, Mandalore the Ultimate, Satal Keto and Cay Qel-Droma. He also fought Exar Kun, regarded as the greatest lightsaber duelist of the period and possibly of all time, in a stalemate. Exar Kun, despite his narcissism, acknowledged Ulic's skill, viewing his lightsaber skills second only to his own. Even after his severance from the Force, he was still a powerful duelist, having held off the ferocious Sylvar, a powerful duelist in her own right. His main style was Form V, also known as Djem So, an aggressive form noted for its emphasis on strength, counter attacks and a balance between offense and defense.
While he mainly focused on lightsaber combat and his physical capabilities, his raw power in the Force was tremendous and was considered a prodigy in his application of it. His power was second only to Exar Kun himself. He was skilled in telekinesis and mind tricks. After being tortured and injected with a Sith poison, he still was strong enough to use a Force scream so powerful it destroyed a block of stone, the torture droid and freed himself. As a Sith Lord, he was skilled in Force choke and his mind tricks became so strong that he was able to straight up control minds. After Nomi Sunrider severed his connection, Ulic was never able to use the Force again.
He was also a skilled general and tactician. When he and Exar Kun built up the Sith Empire's forces, Qel-Droma brought in two armies to their side- the Krath and the Mandalorians, and was angry that Kun only brought in twenty Jedi. He most notably led the Battle of Coruscant in a surprise attack, using Sith sorcery to confuse Republic forces. He made great advances in the battle and would possibly have succeeded had he not been betrayed by Aleema Keto. He also fought in the Battle of Ossus, which was a Sith victory, but also resulted in Ulic's killing of Cay, the loss of his powers and the beginning of his repentance.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Ulic Qel-Droma on the Villains Wiki.
- Ulic Qel-Droma on Wookieepedia.