Although one of the central features of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the ability to choose which planets in the Galaxy you want to visit in any order, it soon becomes clear on repeated playthroughs that there are certain planets that have a lot more to offer than others in terms of items, quests, companions and story progression. As such many players create their own optimal planet order and although this is somewhat subjective, the game’s pre-existing linear location sequences combined with the fact that some companions are locked behind quests on specific planets makes this specific order the best in terms of tone, progression and companion-gathering.
#1 – Endar Spire and Taris
This one is obvious, as the game’s prologue is set on the Endar Spire and the first planet the player visits is always Taris. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that the vast majority of companions are acquired on Taris and their character development quests take place on other planets later down the line. Taris grants the player access to T3-M4, Bastila, Mission, Zaalbar and Canderous, which is a huge portion of the game’s roster. As the player cannot revisit Taris once they have left, it is a good idea to scour the initial areas acquiring as much loot and as many quests as possible, as the natural progression of Taris from the Upper City to the Lower City and finally the Undercity is fairly linear and quests tend to slot into place providing you search everything thoroughly.
#2 – Dantooine
This is another choice that is not optional, as the game sends you straight to Dantooine immediately after finishing Taris. All you have to do is speak to the Jedi Council and complete a few short quests on Dantooine before unlocking the ability to leave and visit other planets, though it is generally worth completing as many quests as possible on Dantooine on your first visit for the simple reason that you will level up more by fighting relatively easy enemies. You also acquire a new companion on this planet, force-user Juhani, though you have to play your dialogue options right in order to prevent her from being killed. Several quests on later planets require the player to return to Dantooine, so it is often a good idea to visit there after each planet is completed.
#3 – Kashyyyk
The first real choice to appear on this list is Kashyyyk, which is the go-to first planet choice for many playthroughs, though the reasons for this vary. Some wish to complete Zaalbar’s quest, others want to get the Shadowlands out of the way early, but more want to acquire Jolee Bindo, a Jedi Consular living in the Shadowlands who is the next force-user companion that can be acquired and his status as a ‘grey’ allows the use of unrestricted Dark Side powers for a Light Side player. Some might argue that Tatooine is a better first choice, and some might want to travel there first to complete some initial quests (and acquire a certain ‘protocol droid’ in the process) but in terms of first planet to be fully completed, Kashyyyk makes the most sense as you acquire a Force user and several powerful, upgradeable weapons.
#4 – Tatooine
As previously mentioned, some players might want to pop over to Tatooine before fully completing Kashyyyk, as the next droid companion HK-47 can be acquired fairly early and with little effort, which is a fair argument. In terms of full planet completion, however, it makes sense to do Kashyyyk first for the experience as the Tusken Raider ambushes in the open desert area of Tatooine are notoriously brutal at lower levels. The Czerka are also portrayed as more of a nuisance than an actual threat on this planet, so there is less incentive to put an end to their operations as quickly as possible as there is on Kashyyyk. Bastila’s story missions are also present on Tatooine, so it is a good idea to progress through her dialogue progression a fair bit before completing those.
#5 – Manaan
This is where the planet choices become less about gameplay advantages and more about tone. Whilst the first few planets often involve the Jedi and his companions fighting through fields and dunes filled with enemies and diving in caves and forests to recover hidden treasures, Manaan slows things down by presenting a more measured and subtle approach to the gameplay. The laws on Manaan prevent violence (for the most part) so we are suddenly placed in a situation where Republic and Sith must mingle and clash with ideologies rather than blasters and vibroblades. We see the Republic depicted in a more morally grey stance as it hires mercenaries and deals in clandestine operations just like their Sith counterparts. When the combat does resume in the underwater sections, the player is able to tip the balance in the favour of one side whilst also fighting Darth Bandon in a sinister location.
#6 – Korriban
The decision to complete Korriban last makes for a consistent tone for the game’s penultimate act as following the defeat of Darth Bandon and the conclusion of the previous planet’s story, the game takes a very dark turn during a brief visit to the Leviathan, and that dark tone is then continued as the player visits Korriban, home of the Sith. Korriban also features some difficult challenges in terms of enemies and puzzles, so it makes sense to level up as much as possible before tackling it. The Sith Academy quests are some of the game’s most interesting depictions of unorthodox views of the Force, as also many of the Sith teachers and students are as zealous as any Sith, there are some who have very unique interpretations of the Code of the Sith and how it is not necessarily a gateway to evil.
#7 – Rakata Prime
The final planet the player visits is Rakata Prime, though this is yet another choice that is made by the game and not by the player. It is worth mentioning here anyway as a reminder that your characters don’t have to be fully levelled up before finishing the final chosen planet, as Rakata Prime has enough quests and enemies to get the final few levels and ensure your character is at maximum strength before taking on the final boss. Hopefully this list has been useful and you can use this to get the most out of your playthrough. If you have a preferred planet order that differs from this one, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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