I really hope it isn't the end. SWTOR has had its ups and downs but I don't want to see it end with this.

Darth Jesus. Lol My impression was that he wanted to expand the same type of culture Sith are exposed to --- fear/terror --- to non-Sith Imperials. So that with culture would permeate every inch of the Empire, force sensitive or no. I wonder if he'll return, assuming an Agent either spared his life or submitted to him. I mean if Malgul's back, why not Jadus?

An in universe reason is that Jaesa sees the SW as a chance the Empire has at reform, especially LS warriors. If the Empire cannot be defeated by the Jedi/Republic, the next best option is for the Empire to be reformed under the leadership of light, or at the very least pragmatic, Sith. A meta reason is that the companion system was clunkily implemented, that's the reason you have certain LS companions sticking with you even if you're a crazed DS pub character.

Krovos' letter points out how the Empire failed Malgus, not the other way around. I *really* hope Imperial players can bring Malgus back to the fold. With Marr gone he's one of the few older leaders left and it would be a shame to lose him.

It would only make sense if LS Jaesa is introduced in a different manner than DS Jaesa, but there's no reason both can't be reintroduced on Oricon in different ways. My Jaesa was light side, and apparently was out their fighting the good fight on the frontier during KOTET. You can't just disregard that character arc in favor of only DS players. If that version, the LS version, is reintroduced on Oricon it should be handled in a way that makes sense.

I don’t like the Alliance as it’s presented in the same way that I don’t like Inquisition, and it feels like Bioware writers are either being lazy or apathetic. The Commander/Inquisitor is a figurehead, to whom Lana/Leliana are fanatically devoted. The player is never responsible for building the Alliance/Inquisition from the ground up, that credit goes to Lana/Leliana. The current story involves a controversial time skip (DA2/DA:I and Ziost/KOTET) which stops the players from experiencing or fighting arguably some of the biggest wars/invasions/conflicts of the setting because that would be too much work on the writers’ behalf. Eventually, they are betrayed by a steadfast ally who has been with them from the beginning, and shortly thereafter their faction, the Alliance/Inquisition, either self destructs or exists as a name with no real power. The remaining writers could just end the series now with a few epilogues varying on the player’s faction, Iokath choice, alignment, and return any surviving companions. It’d be much more fuffilling to see a definitive end to the faction conflict rather than it going on forever or being pushed to the sidelines in favor of MUH ZAKUUL. The decline in writing quality, or at least the direction of the narrative, is really upsetting. Hope Anthem crashes and burns.

Could it be .... Thana Vesh? Darth Baras? Nomen Karr? Can't be Jaesa since she's LS. Beyond Lana and Satele I can't think of someone so close to the Alliance Commander (in all class variations) that would betray the PC. Being Theron must be suffering. First Malcolm, now potentially his mother? I don't think it's Acina, she's perfect. ...And not romancable, for some reason.

As long as a new voice actor can convincingly mimic Jaesa (and the fact that it's been 6 years makes it easier to buy a voice changing) I don't care if the original VA resumes her role. I just want my LS Jaesa back )=

I believe it's Satele, she's already crazy and/or unreliable since KotEE

So is this the end of SWTOR? Unless SWTOR is willing to make two major divergent timelines----one where Acina dies and one where Malcolm dies -----or pull a Telltale when it comes to Determinant Characters (where Acina/Malcolm die in the next update), then they basically allowed players to kill of one of the last, capable leaders holding their faction together. In my case: The Empire's Wrath who has been defending and attempting to reform the Sith Empire for over 6 years now not only is influencing the reigning Empress, imprisoned a bloodthirsty and villainous Saresh, leads an advanced fleet, and is a beloved leader dedicated to rebuilding and aiding the known Galaxy in a post-KotET era, now witnessed the death of one of the Republic's last great leaders----who is now in a strong Alliance with the resurgent Sith Empire. Couple that with Hylo's ominous comments of a looming resource war and it gives the impression that the Galaxy can't afford this type of sustained warfare much longer, and that something has to give. And honestly after Malcolm's demise I don't see the Republic lasting much longer, with the former members breaking up into planet-states and massive secessionist movements forming. In the fallout of that, the Sith Empire would be the only dominant power left in the galaxy, merging with the Alliance at some point. If this patch is the penultimate patch of the game, I accept some of the developments in the story. Ever since the ending of KotET the story has been branching off in too many ways for a sustained/multi route narrative. Also the Cloaked Figure is totally Satele. She's like the only character that all classes have dealt with, and she's never been right in the head since she appeared in KotEE.

LS Stth (both Warrior or Inquisitor are capable of this) can not only save the Empire but redeem it. A darkside Sith character could work as long as they're a pragmatist in nature. I agree with others, a DS Consular could work depending on now it's role played.

Lol. OT/PT/GCW-era Sith and Jedi were both **** It sucks because even Darth "I'm the bad guy" Malak is more character. "Hey you! Force sensitive! You get to choose between following petty old men who are both terrible people -----Mace and Yoda-----in the Jedi Order, or Edge Personified-----Maul and Sideous in the Sith!" "What's that? You don't want to follow two dogmatic orders that are shadows of what they were in 3640 BBY? You want to put your talents serving the Empire or Rebellion? What's that? You want to fight alongside Thrawn or Ackbar? Well I got something better than that! Instead you have the option to be a jobber for Gallius Rax or that OC Wedge Antilles. " ....I forgot what I was ranting about. ...Oh right the PT/OT factions being terrible. Yup. Anyways, Dark, Light, who cares?! Let's make Zakuul Great Again!

DnD or not I reject the idea that the LS is inherently good or the DS is inherently bad. Whatever those alignments were originally written as is irrelevant, from what stories I've ready it's almost always the weak minded that get ensnared in by the influence of either in an unhealthy way. From what I've seen, in both the GCW era and TOR era there's been a consistent trope of religious zealots stealing babies. It's a whole different spectrum of retarded to me that parents would willingly give up their children. Characters like Temple, Guss, and EU Leia (maybe this applies to TFA Leia but I don't know enough about the NuCanon to confirm that either way) prove you can easily have normal, adjusted Republic/Imperials that have some degree of force sensitively, but have no exposure (and possibly no desire to be exposed) to the Jedi/Sith Codes. The idea that any large number of parents would give their children up just because they have an unusually high midichlorian count is even more ludicrous than the assertion DS must be evil and LS must be good. Actually I think the Fel Empire in the Legacy Era had Force Knights similar to Zakuul, but beyond that I can't think of any major examples of force sensitives being assimilated into the Galactic Republic/Empire/etc in a way that doesn't involve the Jedi and Sith. Weird. Though you make a good point-----you'd think the hyper-inflated sense of pride and arrogance among Jedi (You see this in KoTOR 2, Nomen Karr and Nomar Organna, Yoda and Mace Wyindu in the Prequels/OT, etc) In fact as much of a master manipulator as Sideous is made out to be, I doubt Anakin would have ever gotten to that point if Mace and Yoda didn't consistently antagonize Anakin at every opportunity. Also speaking of the prequels and a corrupt Republic on the verge of collapse, happy Election Day everyone!

I'd argue that as more to do with how you define what is good. Most things that'd I'd consider "pure good" (saving lives, making a medical breakthrough, etc) often come across in defiance of an evil environment or status quo. And again you could argue that all of those noble or pure good acts are corrupting "natural" status quo. But that's why GL fanboys claim the darkside is, and why it's so wickedly evil------disrupting the natural order, but never questioning that the natural order itself might be flawed, and deserving of corruption. Dark=/=Evil, and Light=/=Good. A Paladin or patriotic soldier can commit terrible murders and still believe themselves to be the hero----hell, even many countries can turn cold blooded killers into "light sided" heroes as long as they're in a uniform and aim at the right people. And a "dark sided" anarchist or leader can commit morally dubious actions in the eyes of society or an established moral viewpoint, yet their actions might save countless more lives or improve the lives of others in the short/long term, in ways that might not be obvious at first. If that defeatist, fatalistic way of thinking is that standard, is it so surprisingly why so many dark siders crop up at any given time? "Hey Padawan, I stole you from your parents as a baby, and the rest of your life will be as the tool of a corrupt and inept Republic. And eventually you'll die. But don't think of trying to change any of the many flawed things in your life or develop any sense of skepticism or proactivity------because that's the dark side :D:D"

I'm a fan of Star Wars as a setting and a number of people who try to do their own thing with it; just not the ravings of an old man who tried and failed to mix Eastern ideas with Western morality/religion/dogma. The darkside and the lightside exist to keep the other in check, and the idea that the dark side perverts and corrupts is as silly as saying that rain or sun corrupts----they're just elemental forces that people have to live with. The idea that GL or his cult of personality are any more right than my or anyone else's interpretation is silly.