Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords: Complete Guide

A player-to-player guide to KOTOR II on PC: character creation, the influence system, companions, planet order, builds, the Restored Content Mod, and fixes for modern systems.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the 2015 Aspyr update (Steam build with achievements, widescreen, controller and Workshop support). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

Install the Restored Content Mod (TSLRCM) from Steam Workshop before a first playthrough. Aspyr worked with the TSLRCM team to put it on the Workshop on the day of the 2015 update. It fixes hundreds of bugs and restores cut content, most notably a coherent ending on Malachor V. Subscribe, then start a new game.
Pick your class for how you want to fight, not for story. All three Jedi classes see the same story. Guardian is the easiest melee class, Consular is the strongest Force caster, Sentinel is the skill-heavy middle ground.
Wisdom and Charisma matter more than in KOTOR I. Force points scale with both, and many of the strongest builds lean on them.
Influence is the core system. Companions gain or lose influence based on what you say and do. High influence unlocks backstory, lets you train some companions as Jedi, and lets you pull them toward your alignment.
Commit to light or dark side. Prestige classes and several gear and power bonuses depend on being strongly aligned. Fence-sitting leaves you weaker.
Talk to Kreia constantly. She is your mentor and influence with her shapes a lot of the late game.
Save in multiple slots. Several fights and decisions are locked in once you leave an area, and the old engine can still crash.
Use the workbench. Upgrading weapons, armor and lightsabers is where much of your power comes from, and you can break down unwanted items into components.

What KOTOR II Is

Obsidian's sequel is set five years after KOTOR I. The Jedi are nearly extinct and you play an exiled Jedi who has lost their connection to the Force. Combat is the same pausable real-time system as the first game, built on d20 rules: every action rolls against defense, feats and skills matter, and you can queue actions while paused.

On Steam you get the Aspyr-updated version (2015): 37 Steam achievements, Steam Cloud saves, native widescreen and resolutions up to 4K/5K, controller support, a Force Speed effects option, and Steam Workshop.

Character Creation

Classes

Class	Strength	Best for
Jedi Guardian	Most vitality, most combat feats	First-timers, melee builds
Jedi Sentinel	Most skill points, immunity feats	Talkers, utility, balanced play
Jedi Consular	Most Force points, strongest powers	Force casters, easiest late game

Attribute priorities

Build	Priority
Melee Guardian	Strength or Dexterity (pick one for attack), Constitution, then Wisdom
Force caster Consular	Wisdom first, then Charisma, Constitution enough to survive
Hybrid Sentinel	Wisdom and Dexterity, then Constitution; Intelligence for more skills

Rules of thumb:

Wisdom boosts Force points and power save DCs. It is the single most valuable stat for most builds.
Charisma also adds Force points and helps persuasion options.
Intelligence gives more skill points per level. Useful for Sentinels who want Repair, Computer Use and Persuade.
Dumping Strength is fine for pure casters. Dumping Constitution is risky, especially in the early fights before you have good armor and Force buffs.

Skills worth investing in

Persuade — opens alternative outcomes and influence options throughout the game.
Repair and Computer Use — open doors, reprogram droids, and help with some companion interactions.
Awareness — spots mines and hidden items.
Treat Injury — boosts medpac healing.

You do not need every skill on the main character. Companions such as Atton, Bao-Dur and T3-M4 can cover technical skills when you swap them in.

Prestige Classes

Around character level 15, once your Jedi story is far enough along, you can take a prestige class. These are alignment-locked.

Light side	Dark side	Role
Jedi Weapon Master	Sith Marauder	Lightsaber combat specialist
Jedi Master	Sith Lord	Force power specialist
Jedi Watchman	Sith Assassin	Stealth, skills and hybrid play

Pick the one that matches your base class: Guardian into Weapon Master or Marauder, Consular into Jedi Master or Sith Lord, Sentinel into Watchman or Assassin. You can mix, but the matching choice is usually strongest. The level cap is well above the first game's, so you will get many prestige levels on a full playthrough.

Influence and Companions

Every major companion tracks your influence. You gain influence by agreeing with their worldview or by acting in ways they respect, and lose it by doing the opposite. Talking to them in the Ebon Hawk between planets is how most backstory unlocks.

Main companions

Companion	How you get them	Notes
Kreia	Prologue on Peragus	Mentor; central to the story
Atton Rand	Peragus	Pilot; can be trained as a Jedi with enough influence
T3-M4	Prologue	Astromech; technical skills
Bao-Dur	Telos	Tech specialist; can be trained as a Jedi
Visas Marr	Joins after an early ambush	Already Force-sensitive
HK-47	Reactivated via parts or Repair	Assassin droid, returns from KOTOR I
G0-T0	Nar Shaddaa	Droid with his own agenda
Mira or Hanharr	Nar Shaddaa, depends on your alignment	Light side gets Mira, dark side gets Hanharr
Handmaiden or Disciple	Depends on your gender	Handmaiden for a male Exile, the Disciple for a female Exile
Canderous Ordo (Mandalore)	Dxun	Returns from KOTOR I

Training companions as Jedi

Several companions (including Atton, Bao-Dur, Mira and the Handmaiden or Disciple) can be turned into Jedi if you build enough influence and trigger the right conversation. This gives you lightsaber-wielding party members with Force powers, which makes the late game far easier. If you want a full Jedi party, prioritize influence with them early.

Alignment shift

With high influence, companions drift toward your alignment. A dark side Exile with high influence can pull companions dark, and vice versa. This matters for gear with alignment requirements.

Planet Order and Walkthrough Outline

Opening

Peragus Mining Facility — the prologue. You wake in a medical bay. Scavenge, meet Kreia and Atton, and escape. Pick up everything; resources are tight.
Telos Citadel Station — the first hub. You get entangled with local factions, meet Bao-Dur, and eventually recover the Ebon Hawk.

Middle game (choose your order)

After Telos you can visit the main planets in the order you like. Each holds one of the surviving Jedi Masters you are hunting.

Planet	Key content
Nar Shaddaa	Smuggler moon; Exchange intrigue, G0-T0, Mira or Hanharr, Master Zez-Kai Ell
Dantooine	Ruined Jedi Enclave, mercenary conflict, Master Vrook
Dxun and Onderon	Mandalorian camp on the moon, civil war in Iziz, Master Kavar
Korriban	The Sith academy in ruins; a dark, atmospheric dungeon tied to Master Vash

Order advice: Nar Shaddaa is the biggest of the four and rewards a character with a few levels. Korriban is tougher and more atmospheric; many players leave it for last. Dxun and Onderon is a long two-part arc with a major battle, so go with a solid party.

Endgame

After the Masters thread resolves, the story pulls you back toward Telos and onward to the finale on the Ravager and Malachor V. This is the point of no return; finish any companion conversations and side quests you care about first.

Why TSLRCM matters here: the original release shipped with a rushed ending and cut content. The Restored Content Mod restores a lot of it and fixes crashes and quest bugs, which is why it is standard advice for a first run.

Combat and Lightsaber Forms

Pause is your best friend. Queue Force powers and attacks while paused, especially in big fights.
Buff before fights. Force Valor, Force Armor and similar buffs stack up. Cast them before opening a door you suspect is a fight.
Lightsaber forms are new to KOTOR II and are learned as you level as a Jedi. Each suits a different job: some are defensive against blaster fire, some favor all-out attack, and others help you recover Force points. Match your form to the enemy mix. A defensive form against gun-heavy groups, an aggressive one against lone melee enemies.
Crystals and upgrades. Lightsaber crystals can change damage type, add bonuses and scale with you. Revisit the workbench each time you find new parts.
Force Crush, Force Lightning, Force Storm and other dark side powers are extremely strong. Light side characters rely more on crowd control like Stasis Field and buffs.

Economy and Crafting

Workbench — upgrade weapons, armor, lightsabers.
Lab station — create medpacs, stims and grenades.
Breakdown — dismantle junk items into components and chemicals. This feeds crafting and is often worth more than vendor credits.
Credits are rarely a limit on a full run. Spend on a few good armor pieces and utility items; do not hoard.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Playing vanilla on a first run and hitting bugs or the truncated ending. Install TSLRCM.
Neutral alignment. You miss prestige class synergies and alignment-locked bonuses.
Ignoring companion conversations. You lose influence opportunities and the chance to train Jedi companions.
Maxing Strength on a Consular. Force powers scale with Wisdom.
Wasting skill points on skills a companion covers. Let T3-M4 or Bao-Dur handle the technical checks.
Relying on one save. Keep rolling saves, especially before big story beats.
Not using the workbench. Unupgraded gear falls behind fast.

Advanced Tips

Wisdom stacking. Items and buffs that raise Wisdom boost Force power damage and save DCs. A heavily stacked Consular can end most fights before enemies act.
Influence exploits. Many influence choices are small; save before a conversation and test answers to learn what each companion values.
Jedi party. Converted companions are dramatically better than their non-Jedi selves. Aim for two Jedi companions by mid-game.
Force Speed option. The Aspyr update added a Force Speed effects toggle; turn it off if the blur bothers you.
Achievements. The 37 Steam achievements cover class choices, alignment and completion. Some require specific alignments or prestige classes, so a light and a dark run are the natural way to finish the list.
Workshop mods. Beyond TSLRCM, check the Workshop and the Deadly Stream community for widescreen UI fixes and restorations. Avoid stacking large overhaul mods on top of TSLRCM unless they explicitly say they are compatible.

PC Fixes and Settings

The Steam build already supports widescreen and 4K resolutions natively.
If you get crashes in specific areas, disabling advanced graphics options such as Frame Buffer Effects and Soft Shadows in the options menu is a common community fix.
Controllers work out of the box with the updated build.
Steam Cloud saves are supported; back up your saves manually before installing big mods.
Workshop subscriptions install automatically. If you use mods from outside the Workshop, avoid mixing both sources for the same mod.

FAQ

Should I play KOTOR I first? Yes if you can. The sequel spoils the first game's twist and leans on its events. It still stands on its own if you only want one.

Is TSLRCM on Steam? Yes. It is on Steam Workshop, published in partnership with Aspyr as part of the 2015 update. Subscribe before starting a new game.

Did the Switch version get the restored content DLC? No. Aspyr cancelled the planned free restored content DLC for the June 2022 Switch port in June 2023; later reporting said Aspyr couldn't get permission from all 22 people who worked on the mod. On PC, TSLRCM remains the way to play it.

What is the best class? Jedi Consular is the strongest late game because of Force powers. Jedi Guardian is the most forgiving early. Sentinel is the most versatile.

How do I get Mira or Hanharr? It depends on your alignment when you reach that part of Nar Shaddaa. Light side leads to Mira, dark side to Hanharr.

Who is the Handmaiden versus the Disciple? They are gender-dependent companions: a male Exile gets the Handmaiden, a female Exile gets the Disciple.

Can I train companions as Jedi? Yes, several of them, once you have high influence and trigger the right dialogue.