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Creating a character is an important part of Knights of the Old Republic. Not only does it affect how you appear in the game world, it even affects how you interact with it. While character creation may seem like a one-time action, it actually lasts throughout the entire duration of the game. As time progresses you character will be able to learn new abilities and grow stronger both physically and mentally. Knowing what your character's statistics mean allows you to better shape them to suit your style of play. Character creation in Knights can be partially automated (the computer decides your stats, you simply supply a class, gender, appearance, and name) or fully manual, allowing for greater customization.

[edit] Gender & Class

When you first create a new character the first step is to choose from one of three base classes (with male and female versions of each). These classes—Scoundrel, Scout, and Soldier—can be thought of like general templates. For example, the soldier is generally strong and great with weapons but not the most intelligent person around. That's not to say that you can't create a fairly smart soldier, just that they will often be better suited to blast a door down than sneak in quietly.

Jedi classes are available, but not from the beginning. As the story progresses, your character will multiclass, taking on two classes at once. While this provides the best of both classes, it also brings the worst of both. Knowing the way you like to play can help you decide how to effectively multiclass.