Seven years ago, Star Wars secretly set up one of the most powerful Sith Lords of all time. In non-canon Legends, the Old Republic Era boasted several different wielders of the dark side who were true forces to be reckoned with. Likewise, Star Wars has since brought a handful back into the official canon through references and Easter eggs.

A great example is Knights of the Old Republic’s Darth Revan. Not only was his name used by a Final Order legion in Rise of Skywalker, but Andor season 2 referenced the fan-favorite character as well. Beyond Revan, Star Wars also once set up the return of one of the most powerful ancient Sith Lords of all time.

7 Years Ago, Solo: A Star Wars Story Teased Exar Kun

In 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, the office belonging to villain Dryden Vos is full of fun Easter eggs and references, many of which point to Legends material and characters that were then effectively reintegrated into the current post-Disney Star Wars canon.

This includes the crystal skill of Legends’ Xim the Despot (and even the golden fertility idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark). However, Dryden Vos’ desk incorporates a hunk of black obsidian as its base, and Solo’s official artbook confirms its surprising inscription: “Our temple honoring Sith Lord Exar Kun.“

Remarkably, Vos’ desk is the first and still one of the only mentions of the Old Republic’s Exar Kun in the official canon, who in Legends was believed to be one of the most powerful Dark Lords of the Sith, thousands of years before the Skywalker saga.

Exar Kun Was One Of The Old Republic’s Most Powerful Sith Lords

In Legends, Exar Kun was once a Jedi Knight, his unique double-bladed lightsaber having inspired the construction of Darth Maul’s iconic lightsaber thousands of years later.

Kun was eventually drawn to the secrets and irresistible knowledge the dark side had to offer. Becoming a Sith, Kun became incredibly powerful, launching the major “Great Sith War”. In Legends, Exar Kun’s spirit haunted the Mᴀssᴀssi temples of Yavin IV following his defeat. This is most likely where the obsidian was canonically taken for Vos’ desk in Solo.

That said, we still don’t know much about Exar Kun and his canonical story, almost a decade later. So far, all we know for sure is that there was once a Sith Lord who went by that name, and that he once had a temple built in his honor.

Perhaps one day, Lucasfilm will finally start exploring the Old Republic Era again, providing official canon adaptations of these classic Star Wars stories and characters like Exar Kun.