BioWare launched Star Wars: The Old Republic in December 2011 and put it on Steam in 2020, and its selling point has never changed: eight fully voiced class stories, four for the Republic and four for the Empire, each a standalone campaign with its own companions and villains. The 7.0 Legacy of the Sith update split those origin stories from your fighting style, so a Jedi Knight can now swing a double bladed saber as a Shadow or throw lightning as a Sorcerer. The level cap sits at 80, and level sync scales you down on old planets so every world stays playable.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Origin story and Combat Style split
You pick an origin story such as Imperial Agent or Jedi Consular for the narrative, then choose a Combat Style separately for how you actually fight. Subscribers can unlock a second Combat Style per character, and each style has three disciplines covering damage, tanking or healing.
Level sync across planets
Entering a lower level planet scales your character down to its intended range while keeping your abilities. Tatooine stays a real challenge at level 80, and old side quests still award usable rewards rather than grey text.
Companions and influence
Story companions fight alongside you and can be set to tank, heal or deal damage, which is why almost every solo story mission is soloable. Gifts raise influence up to rank 50, and higher influence makes a healing companion strong enough to carry difficult solo fights.
Legacy and alt progression
Every character on your account feeds a shared Legacy that unlocks account wide perks, species options, ship upgrades and travel conveniences. Since the game is built around replaying eight different stories, Legacy is the system that makes the second and third character faster than the first.
Group content ladder
Flashpoints are four player dungeons, Operations are eight and sixteen player raids, and both come in Story, Veteran and Master difficulty. Warzones and Galactic Starfighter cover PvP, with Huttball being the mode nobody else in the genre has.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our STAR WARS: The Old Republic combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jedi Knight | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Sith Inquisitor | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Bounty Hunter | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Imperial Agent | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Smuggler | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our STAR WARS: The Old Republic builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Lightsaber | The single saber used by Guardians, Juggernauts, Sages and Sorcerers. | Tanking disciplines and Force casters who need an offhand slot for defensive or healing stats. |
| Double bladed lightsaber | The Assassin and Shadow weapon, a saberstaff that fits stealth based melee. | Stealth players who want to open fights on their own terms and escape when they go badly. |
| Blaster pistol | The Smuggler, Gunslinger, Scoundrel, Mercenary and Powertech weapon, used singly or in pairs. | Non Force characters wanting either the cover based ranged game or mobile close range damage. |
| Blaster rifle | The Trooper and Imperial Agent standard, and the entry weapon for Vanguard and Operative disciplines. | Vanguard and Powertech style play where you fight at short to medium range in heavy armour. |
| Assault cannon | The Commando weapon, a heavy repeating cannon that supports both the Gunnery damage discipline and the Combat Medic healing discipline. | Republic players who want ranged healing or sustained ranged damage without leaving heavy armour. |
Lightsaber: The single saber used by Guardians, Juggernauts, Sages and Sorcerers. Paired with a shield generator for tanking or a focus for casting, it defines every Force user discipline that is not dual wielding.
Double bladed lightsaber: The Assassin and Shadow weapon, a saberstaff that fits stealth based melee. It carries both the Darkness and Kinetic Combat tanking disciplines and the Deception and Infiltration damage ones.
Blaster pistol: The Smuggler, Gunslinger, Scoundrel, Mercenary and Powertech weapon, used singly or in pairs. Dual pistols mark the Gunslinger and Mercenary damage specifications.
Blaster rifle: The Trooper and Imperial Agent standard, and the entry weapon for Vanguard and Operative disciplines. Reliable mid range damage with tactical utility attached.
Assault cannon: The Commando weapon, a heavy repeating cannon that supports both the Gunnery damage discipline and the Combat Medic healing discipline.
Full breakdowns in our STAR WARS: The Old Republic weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Tython | Levels 1 to 10 | First lightsaber, starter companion, class story opening |
| Dromund Kaas | Levels 10 to 16 | Class story progression, first speeder access, Imperial fleet unlock |
| Nar Shaddaa | Levels 20 to 24 | Companion recruitment, faction neutral quest hubs |
| Tatooine | Levels 24 to 28 | Class story chapter, heroic mission rewards |
| Ossus | Level 70 to 80 content | Endgame gear tokens, daily mission currency, reputation |
Tython: The Jedi starting world, where Knights and Consulars begin training among the ruins of the order's ancient home. Short, focused and the cleanest introduction to the Republic side of the story.
Dromund Kaas: The Imperial capital and the second world for Sith Warriors, Inquisitors, Bounty Hunters and Agents. Storm lashed jungle around the Citadel, and the point where the Empire stories properly begin.
Nar Shaddaa: The smuggler's moon, shared by both factions. Neon vertical cityscape, a casino, and some of the best written side content in the early game for Agents and Smugglers in particular.
Tatooine: The desert planet, and the first world large enough that you genuinely need a speeder. Sand people, Jawas, and long treks between quest hubs that level sync keeps relevant at 80.
Ossus: Endgame territory added late in the Onslaught era, where Republic and Empire fight openly over a rediscovered Jedi world. Daily areas here feed directly into current gearing.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Choose your origin story for the writing, not the combat. Since 7.0 the story and the Combat Style are separate choices, so wanting to play a Sniper no longer forces you into the Imperial Agent narrative if you would rather be a Bounty Hunter.
- The Imperial Agent story is widely considered the strongest of the eight, with the Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight close behind. If you only play one character to the end, pick on that basis rather than on class power.
- Set your companion to the healing role for solo play and keep raising influence with gifts. A high influence healer companion makes almost every solo story fight comfortable even in mediocre gear.
- You can level to the cap on class story missions plus a handful of planetary quests. Grinding every side quest on every planet is the fastest way to burn out before the story pays off in its final chapters.
- Subscribing for a single month unlocks the expansions permanently for that account and drops you to Preferred status afterwards with most of the content still accessible. It is the cheapest route into the full story.
- Spacebar through cutscenes only if you have already seen them. The voiced dialogue is the entire reason this game exists, and the choices you make in conversations change companions, rewards and later story beats.
- Run Hammer Station repeatedly in group finder if you want fast levels. It is short, popular and awards a large chunk of experience, and the queue pops quickly at nearly any hour.
- Legacy perks are account wide, so unlocking travel conveniences and experience boosts on your first character makes every subsequent one measurably faster. Buy the ship droid and quick travel perks early.
- Level sync means old planets stay dangerous, so do not assume a level 80 character trivialises Taris or Balmorra. Your abilities carry over but the numbers get scaled, and a group of three enemies still needs actual cooldowns.
- Operations come in Story, Veteran and Master difficulty, and Story mode is designed for players who have never raided. Eternity Vault and Karagga's Palace remain the gentlest introduction to eight player content.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Picking a class purely for its combat abilities, then discovering the story attached is the one you least wanted to play through.
- Leaving companions at low influence and set to damage, which makes solo story fights far harder than the designers intended.
- Completing every side quest on every planet, arriving overlevelled and bored long before the class story finishes.
- Playing free to play without ever subscribing a single month, which locks out expansions and adds restrictions on inventory, credits and hotbars.
- Skipping the Legacy perks that speed up travel and experience, then wondering why the second character feels as slow as the first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Star Wars: The Old Republic free to play?
Yes, with restrictions. Free players get the base eight class stories, while Preferred status, earned by subscribing at least once, loosens credit, inventory and hotbar limits. Expansions require a subscription to unlock.
What is the level cap?
- Levelling through a single class story and its follow up chapters gets you there comfortably, and level sync keeps earlier planets relevant along the way.
Which class story is the best?
Imperial Agent has the strongest reputation, built around espionage and genuinely surprising turns. Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight carry the main galactic conflict, while Smuggler is the funniest of the eight.
What changed in Legacy of the Sith?
The 7.0 update separated your origin story from your Combat Style, letting any story pair with any fighting style, and rebuilt the ability and loadout systems around that split.
Can I play the whole story solo?
Yes. Every class story and expansion campaign is soloable with a companion, and the group content ladder of Flashpoints, Operations and warzones sits alongside it rather than blocking it.
More STAR WARS: The Old Republic Guides
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Best Builds
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Tier List
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Walkthrough
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Beginner's Guide
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Tips & Tricks
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Weapons Guide
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Combat Guide
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Boss Guide
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Maps & Locations
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Crafting Guide
- STAR WARS: The Old Republic Classes & Characters
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