The Incredible Evolution Of Shae Vizla In “Star Wars: The Old Republic” — ‘From Concept Art To Iconic Character’

Shae Vizla, Mandalore the Avenger, or perhaps to most, that redheaded Mandalorian not named Bo-Katan that was in those really awesome cinematic trailers for “Star Wars: The Old Republic” (2011). The character of Shae Vizla is an interesting one in the fact that she wasn’t even a character at all initially.

You may rebut and say she was in the trailers; she was on the box art for the game, and she was even released as a collectible statue before the game’s launch. While that is correct, I think it requires a bit more context, so let’s go on a journey to a galaxy far, far away or, rather, to a long time ago in 2011.

‘Conceptual Beginnings’ — The Origins & Early Design Of Shae Vizla In “Star Wars: The Old Republic”

“Star Wars: The Old Republic” launched as the second official Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) Role-Playing Game (RPG) to be developed in the Star Wars universe.¹ It was helmed by BioWare (now Broadsword), the quite famous RPG studio known for the Mass Effect franchise, “Dragon Age” franchise, “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” (2003), among others.

It was heavily marketed with multiple lavishly produced cinematic trailers, the most famous of which, “Deceived,” features an unnamed redheaded Mandalorian that would eventually become known as Shae Vizla.² The novel of the same name, which details events leading up to and after the trailer, also features her, though only named “The Mandalorian.”³

“The Old Republic” had a large amount of concept art for the various zones and characters that would feature in the game. Something BioWare chose to do at the time was make the concept art for the various classes the player can select into distinct characters in the lore, at least most of the time.

For instance, Ven Zallow was the concept art for the Jedi Knight class and in the centre point of the base game’s box art, yet he is dead before the game even begins, having been murdered in the aforementioned “Deceived” trailer.⁴ Meanwhile, others like Jace Malcom, who was the concept art for the Trooper class, featured significantly in tie-in media and even appeared in the base game.

Shae Vizla, who was the concept art for the Bounty Hunter class, is in a weird position despite her apparent importance. She’s barely featured in the tie-in media, has no dialogue in her appearances in the trailers, and wasn’t even in the game at launch. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even get a name until a merchandise company, Gentle Giant, sold a “Limited Edition Bounty Hunter Statue” in 2010, officially licensed from “The Old Republic.”

In the item description, you can find the text,

“You were first introduced to this brutal Bounty Hunter as she joined the Sith fleet in an ambitious assault during the Sacking of Coruscant. Known as Shae Vizla, she is commonly employed by the Empire for large, risky undertakings.”

JediInsider. Star Wars: The Old Republic Shae Vizla Bounty Hunter Maquette by Gentle Giant Ltd. 2025.

A strange way to finally get a name for a character who would become so vital to the modern “The Old Republic” story.

Shae Vizla Enters The Battlefield — Companion Character Revealed

Not long after the launch of the game, Lucasfilm was sold to Disney, which resulted in the Star Wars Expanded Universe being labeled as “Legends” and de-canonized in favour of new material under the Disney banner.⁵ Many Expanded Universe storylines were cut short as a result or rushed to the finish line, with the exception of “Star Wars: The Old Republic.”

As an MMO, as long as it made a profit, it would continue to be maintained. This resulted in a strange case of while the old Expanded Universe was ostensibly gone, one part of it would remain, continuing to produce brand new content under the “Legends” label to the current day.

Not being beholden to either canon of the Star Wars universe, the writers were able to pick elements from both to weave into their narrative and even capitalize on similarities. Which is exactly what they did with the expansion pack Shadow of Revan in 2014.

They followed up on story threads from their past title, “Knights of the Old Republic,” and brought in Shae Vizla for the first time as she wasn’t even in the base game. She’s a Mandalorian, which has always been popular in the Star Wars fandom, and the increased focus on the redheaded Mandalorian named Bo-Katan in the animated series was the perfect excuse to introduce Shae Vizla.

As part of the storyline in Shadow of Revan, the player can participate in the Flashpoint entitled “Blood Hunt.”⁶ Flashpoints are specially designed scenarios often tackled in a group of four players, but there has been the option to do some of them by yourself, including “Blood Hunt.”

Shae is under the nom de guerre of Torch and has retreated with her clan of Mandalorians to an island on the planet of Rishi. Shae will taunt and even complement the player throughout the Flashpoint before finally facing off against them at the end in a duel. She will even show up at the end of the storyline to aid the player if you made an impression on her.

Later in the expansion pack Knights of the Fallen Empire, Shae is the focus of Chapter Fourteen, entitled “Mandalore’s Revenge.”⁷ Here, she is officially given the prestigious title of Mandalore the Avenger and is shown to be struggling with the responsibility of the position the ultimate warrior king holds.

Mandalore the Vindicated, who was in the base game, had been killed and she had assumed his role, but it was clear some of the clans, especially Clan Fett, didn’t like her as Mand’alor.⁸ The chapter ends with her either taking a stand against the clan infighting or not, depending on the player’s choice, but regardless, the seeds have been sown for what would become the current story arc.

Mandalorian Civil War — The Battle For Honor, Power, & Survival

Shae Vizla began to take centre stage in the continuing storyline of “The Old Republic” with a handful of quests that built up to the release of the Flashpoint “Spirit of Vengeance” in 2020. The tensions in the Mandalorian Clans are heating up and Field Marshal Heta Kol has declared an open rebellion against Shae’s rule as Mandalore. With this Flashpoint, a Mandalorian Civil War kicks off that is still unfolding in the storyline of the game at this very moment.⁹

Shae had aligned herself with the Eternal Alliance, the player-owned faction, using the clans to protect Eternal Alliance ships from piracy, as well as getting directly involved in the Invasion of Voss by Empress Vaylin. In the eyes of Heta, this was a betrayal of Mandalorian ideals, which is why she makes a statement by confiscating and later burning Clan Cadera’s Banner.¹⁰ Clan Cadera had gone against Mandalore the Vindicated when he allied with the Sith Empire, believing, much like Heta claims to believe, that Mandalorians should be independent conquerors.¹¹

The Shae Vizla story weaves through the other plotlines, building an intricate web that, as a player, is exciting to see unfold. You have the machinations of Darth Malgus and his pursuit of Darth Nul’s Holocron.¹² Meanwhile, Jedi Padawan Sa’har Kateen has given the Holocron to Heta Kol in order to win the affection of her brother.

Ri’kan, Sa’har’s brother, is a trusted member of Heta Kol’s resistance to Shae called The Hidden Chain but has lived in his more successful sister’s shadow all his life. Naturally, the infighting among the Mandalorian Clans is influencing the newly reignited war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Each conflict feeds into the next, creating a compelling, domino-like chain of events — interwoven like a grand, intricate tapestry.

These interwoven storylines succeed because Shae Vizla is a volatile yet deeply sympathetic character — flawed, complex, and driven by struggles that feel both raw and relatable. She wasn’t prepared to become Mandalore and was challenged internally and externally by assuming the position. In Shae‘s younger years, she was a bounty hunter; she is used to being a lone wolf hunting a target, looking out for nothing but herself and the contract.

Now, she is responsible for multiple clans, is the leader of an entire culture, and Heta Kol, in particular, calls into question every decision she has made since she became Mandalore. The most recent appearance of Shae Vizla in the storyline was in the latest story update, “Desperate Defiance.”

Shae had gone AWOL and returned to her old ways, leaving Jekiah Ordo as Arbiter of the Clans while she hunts down Heta personally. This is causing even more problems, previously loyal clans are questioning her leadership capabilities, she is passing her responsibilities onto another, and her own struggles as a leader have led her to isolate herself to go back to a way of life she understands better. This is driven home in the two short stories Bottled Fury and Snare, which detail Shae’s hunt for Heta across the galaxy, as well as the final cutscene of Desperate Defiance.

Malgus was in a prison designed to contain him and solely him, but Shae Vizla has history with the man, knows how he thinks, and, most importantly, he has information about the Darth Nul holocron that is now in Heta’s hands. So, against the player’s wishes, she breaks Malgus out of his prison, intending to use him just like he used her back in the day, as seen in the unnamed appearances in the trailers.

‘Shae Vizla’s Ever-Evolving Future’ — What’s Next For The Legendary Mandalorian?

The game update 7.6, entitled Galactic Threads, was released in December of 2024, though with a catch.¹³ Due to the ongoing voice actor strikes in the gaming industry, the story update is delayed until the strikes are resolved. So, Shae Vizla’s story isn’t complete, and her betrayal of the player character is the most recent cliffhanger.

What’s in store for Mandalore the Avenger is anyone’s guess. “The Old Republic” has not been shy about killing off characters, even companions, which Shae Vizla is acquirable as one, so even death isn’t off the table. We will just have to wait and see how she continues to evolve.

Shae Vizla has undergone a remarkable evolution, transforming from an unnamed concept art piece into the central figure of a five-year-long story arc — one where she maintains her own agency, even defying the player when necessary. This growth has solidified her as one of the most compelling Mandalorian characters in Star Wars, with decisions that carry real weight and motivations that feel deeply authentic.

Not bad for a character who started as just a piece of concept art.

Footnotes

1. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Star Wars: The Old Republic. Wookieepedia. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
2. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2021). Deceived. Wookieepedia. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
3. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Mandalore the Avenger. Wookieepedia. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
4. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Ven Zallow. Wookieepedia. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
5. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Canon. Wookieepedia. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
6. Wars, S. (2024). Blood Hunt. Star Wars: The Old Republic Wiki. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
7. Star Wars: The Old Republic – Knights of the Fallen Empire. (2016). Star Wars: The Old Republic. ↩︎
8. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Mandalore the Vindicated. Wookieepedia. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
9. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Mandalorian Civil War (True Mandalorians). Wookieepedia. Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
10. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Clan Cadera banner. Wookieepedia; Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
11. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Clan Cadera. Wookieepedia; Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
12. Contributors to Wookieepedia. (2025). Darth Nul. Wookieepedia; Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
13. Game Update 7.6 “Galactic Threads” | Star Wars: The Old Republic. (2025). Swtor.com. ↩︎