Darth Malice

"Pain is eternal. Pain is forever. I am Pain."

- Darth Malice

Darth Malice, born Vorthan Kurn, was a Sith Lord during the Revelation Era and the Great War. He was the apprentice of the Sith Lord, Darth Bane, and later became Emperor of the Empire of the Painless.

Appearance
Malice had long, wavy hair that he normally pulled back behind his ears to prevent it from blinding him in battle. His eyes were, like most Sith, an intense, fiery red and yellow. His demonic eyes seemed to burn with hatred and rage. The most prevalent attribute of his appearance was his pale, white skin and Sith tattoos. In reality, however, these tattoos were self-inflicted burns, with each one representing a victim of his hatred. Vorthan's body was usually concealed beneath his Sith robes and armor, though his exposed face gave a hint to the rest of his skin coloration. His tattoos, or burns should one be privy to that detail, covered most of his body.



Malice favored a simple and effective outfit, one that didn't burden him or wasn't too heavy like the Sith armor worn by his warrior brethren. He wore loose-fitting garments, with a long black outer robe overtop lightly weighted red armor. His high-collared tunic and coat were belted to his waist to prevent them from hindering him in combat. His outfit was completed with heavy black combat boots.

Personality and traits
Malice was a quiet child, but he harbored a deep and explosive inner rage. The few times he lost control of his temper, he would respond with violence, having gone so far as nearly killing a boy with a wire who constantly belittled him.

He was very confident in his abilities, and that confidence bordered on arrogance. He even furthered the belief in the strong shall rule the weak, a way of thought that was instilled in him throughout his training. Vorthan viewed physical pain as the cause of weakness and fear, and only those without pain could truly be strong. He created his own, twisted interpretation of the Sith Code, using that belief as a foundation:

"There is no fear. There is only power. There is only the dark side. Through victory, my chains are broken. Through the breaking of chains, I am cleansed. Through cleansing, I am painless. Through painlessness, I am eternal."

- Personal Code of Darth Malice

In terms of pure psychology, Malice had a severe case of sadistic personality disorder, with minor facets of psychosis. He also had an extreme case of antisocial personality disorder and malignant narcissism. Although these disorders would have been detrimental to a normal being, Malice's Force-sensitivity and use of the dark side of the Force allowed him to use the disorders as a means of bolstering his strengths, or has he viewed it "not letting the facets of the weak hinder me".

He was also extremely manipulative, cold, and calculating, skills that enabled him to excel in his path as an Inquisitor. In addition, he had a high intelligence, which only heightened his ability to manipulate and control the will of others.

Powers and Abilities
Malice inherited his Master's dedication to training. He would spend countless hours reading the ancient Sith texts, practicing his lightsaber skills, and furthering his knowledge of the Force.

Lightsaber combat
A master practitioner of Juyo, Malice was a skilled lightsaber duelist. He favored the use of a long-hilted lightsaber, or saber spear, over a single-bladed saber, although he was very capable of using one should the situation warrant it. Malice also had a knowledge of Djem So, his Master's style, and Soresu, which he utilized to deflect blaster bolts and lightsaber strikes. In addition to the traditional styles of saber combat, Malice was proficient in Jar'Kai, a technique that utilized dual blades. Malice also incorporated Dun Möch into his fighting style, an ancient Sith tradition of dominating the opponents spirit and exposing his inner doubts through taunts and psychological warfare. He was also a skilled unarmed fighter, a practitioner of both the Noghri martial art of Stava and Teräs Käsi.



Force power
Malice's true talent lied within his knowledge of the Force. Like most Inquisitors, Malice was among the most adept users of the dark side in the galaxy, and was a master at utilizing Force Lightning. He also mastered Force Fear and its forms, Force Horror and Force Insanity. Many of his other abilities stemmed from the Alter area of the Force, allowing him to alter the environment, or persons, around him. These powers were enhanced greatly by his rage.

Sith alchemy
Malice was a student of Sith Alchemy, an ancient Sith science that utilized the mysteries within Sith magic to create poisons, enhance the strength of weapons and armor, and to genetically engineer and enhance alien species, making them more dangerous and easier to control. It is through the study of this forbidden and dark art that Malice was able to conjure the poison used to clear nociceptors from the nervous system.

Other abilities
Due to Malice's lack of nociceptors in his nervous system, he was unable to feel any sort of physical pain. He was able to withstand wounds that would otherwise cause a weaker being to succumb to the pain, which he viewed as a true representation of pure strength. This helped him countless times in battle, and allowed him to outlast his opponents, even after they had wounded him. However, while he couldn't feel the pain, wounds still affected his body all the same, and he had to take time to recover after a brutal battle.

He also had incredible endurance, bolstered both by the Force and, like most powerful Sith of the Order, the fear and anguish of others. By feeding on fear and anguish, Vorthan was able to give himself more energy the few times he had been near death, which allowed him the strength to heal himself through the Force.

As an Inquisitor, Malice was adept at more mundane, deceptive abilities. He was a manipulative genius and brilliant philosopher, an expert on the practices and beliefs of the ancient Sith.

Portrayal
Darth Malice is portrayed by his creator. The character of Darth Malice was originally created for the stage combat performance troupes PAJedi and NYJedi.

Copyright Information
STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks in the United States and/or in other countries of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © 2010 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.