SWTOR’s post-launch story content is always playable by all classes (origin stories), but sometimes, you’ll have a better experience if you play through a particular part of the story as a specific class.
The story is usually the same for both Republic and Imperial players, just with a dash of faction-specific fervor thrown in so things still make sense.
Everything is in chronological order, but we tried to minimize spoilers, so don’t worry too much about skipping ahead if you haven’t done everything.
It’s also important to note that this is just our opinion based on our experiences with stories. If you disagree, we’d love to hear why.
Makeb
Makeb features completely different storylines for Imperial and Republic players, though both play a role in the larger events that occur there.
Imperial
The Imperial storyline on Makeb is very covert because the Empire is on the back foot following the False Emperor’s rebellion on Ilum. Your main contact is a member of Imperial Intelligence and even your support at med centers are stealthed until you approach.
The clandestine nature of the operation means that the Imperial Agent is best class to play through Makeb, though the arc is important enough that you won’t be disappointed by bringing any Imperial class.
The devs did a good job of integrating key elements unique to each origin story. For example, you’re fighting the Hutts, so a Bounty Hunter works, and Darth Marr is involved, so the Sith are relevant.
Republic
The Republic storyline on Makeb is a rescue mission. The Republic Trooper and Jedi Consular are the strongest fits because their backgrounds lend themselves nicely to coordination and support.
The Jedi Knight works fine, but the enemies you’re fighting don’t really hold a candle to the Sith Emperor, even when they’re souped up by Isotope-5, and the Knight story is more oriented around combat and offense rather than support.
The Smuggler doesn’t work as well on Makeb because the humorous tone clashes with the serious situation unfolding on the planet.
Shadow of Revan
Shadow of Revan is the same story for both Imperial and Republic players. It takes place across a trilogy of Flashpoints, then Rishi, followed by Yavin IV. Ziost comes later and leads into KotFE.
Forged Alliances (Flashpoints)
The Jedi Consular is all about forging alliances. They are the best fit for Republic players by far. The Sith Warrior is a strong fit for the Imperials solely because of the Assault on Tython and Korriban Incursion.
Rishi
Every class has a unique story mission on Rishi, so it’s worthwhile to play through this area as everyone, but Rishi is by far and away the best piece of post-launch story content for Smugglers. It’s also an excellent spot to bring a Bounty Hunter, though the tone will be a bit off.
Imperial Agent works okay as well since you’re under cover for most of it, but again, the tone is a bit off.
Yavin IV
Yavin IV is a strong fit for Jedi Consular again because of the Alliance you get to broker there, but you can make a solid case for bringing any of the Force classes because the story is very Force-centric.
The tech classes really only make sense because you have a good reason to bring them to Rishi; they’re already caught up in the conflict.
Ziost
Ziost is all about the Sith Emperor, so the Sith Warrior and the Jedi Knight are your best picks.
The Sith Inquisitor is also a strong choice because this is such an Empire-centric story that involves the dark mysteries of the Force, but I don’t think the same can be said for the Jedi Consular. Maybe in the beginning, but not towards the end.
It just doesn’t make much sense for anyone but the Jedi Knight to be so heavily involved in Imperial affairs. Of course, they give a reason, it’s just not very compelling.
KotFE and KotET (Chapters)
Knights of the Fallen Empire (KotFE) and Knights of the Eternal Throne (KotET) are massive swathes of story content each in their own right, but they take place back-to-back and my recommendations are the same for both.
Any Force class works really well for KotFE and KotET, though different aspects appeal to each one.
Much like Ziost, the Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight get to interact with the Emperor some more, but the Sith Inquisitor is used to having ghosts in his head and wants to accumulate as much power as possible, so they’re also a strong fit.
The Jedi Consular is adept with the Force and experienced with diplomacy, so the Alliance aspect suits them a bit better even if their connection to the Sith Emperor is more distant.
Unfortunately, because the Force is so deeply intertwined with the story and the stakes are so high, it’s somewhat absurd to play through the whole thing with any tech class. Out of all of them, the Smuggler is probably the safest bet because they can at least lean into that absurdity.
Don’t get me wrong, certain Chapters do work well for the tech classes, but whenever you’re dealing with Valkorion or his children directly, it falls apart. The same goes for the following story bits, War for Iokath and the Traitor arc.
It would be really neat if the Alliance was like a legacy-wide thing where we could play through KotFE and KotET once with our entire legacy, bringing different toons for each Chapter depending on how well they fit the story.
Jedi Under Siege and Onslaught
Jedi Under Siege takes place on Ossus and leads into Onslaught, which takes place on Onderon, Mek-Sha, and the Objective Meridian Flashpoint on Corellia.
Echoes of Oblivion also takes place during this expansion, though it’s really a finale to KotFE/KotET and is fairly disconnected from everything else taking place.
“Inflection Point” Skip
You can skip to this point in the story using the Mission Terminal on your Ship or start at this Era using a Level 70 Character Token. From this point on, a lot of the story starts to make more sense (or at least as much sense) as a tech class, aside from Echoes of Oblivion.
Ossus
There are separate storylines on Ossus for Imperial and Republic factions. Since the planet was once a Jedi stronghold, it’s a better fit for the Force classes. You can make a solid case for bringing any of them.
The Imperial Agent and Trooper work okay, but your presence and stature as Alliance Commander on a Jedi planet doesn’t make as much sense.
Onderon, Mek-Sha, and Objective Meridian
There are compelling reasons to bring any origin story to Onderon, Mek-Sha, and Objective Meridian, but it’s a blast to be a role model for Arn Peralun as a Jedi and parlay with the closest thing you have to peers (the Dark Council) as a Sith.
Don’t get me wrong, the story works really well for tech classes, too. For example, defending the Meridian Complex from an Imperial invasion is perfect for the Trooper, and playing through the meatiest part of the saboteur arc while playing as a Saboteur Gunslinger Smuggler is wonderful.
No spoilers, but I have to highlight how special it is to play through this part of Onslaught as a Sith Inquisitor, particularly if you’ve done KotFE/KotET with them. Their unique ending is my favorite moment in all of SWTOR’s post launch story (to date).
Echoes of Oblivion
Echoes of Oblivion is basically a KotFE/KotET Chapter that has you dealing with the Sith Emperor alongside Kira Carsen and Lord Scourge. It is best experienced as a Jedi Knight that has done all the Chapters.
While it does fit fine for the other Force wielding classes, Echoes of Oblivion is by far and away the closest thing we’ve ever gotten to a proper post-launch class-specific story mission. Yes, there were the little bits on Rishi, but this is much longer.
Unfortunately, just like with the Force-centric Chapters, it is pretty much nonsense as a tech class. It’s so jarring that I don’t think this mission (or the minor lead-up) should be offered to tech classes at all.
If you’re going to play it on a tech class, do it as a Smuggler Scoundrel. At least that way you can laugh when you Sucker Punch an ancient Sith Force ghost inside the Jedi Grandmaster’s head.
Secrets of the Enclave
Secrets of the Enclave takes us to the gorgeous ruins of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, the same place you visit in KOTOR I & II.
Since it is a Flashpoint, there aren’t a whole lot of cutscenes here, so it doesn’t matter too much who you bring, but you can make a stronger case for the Jedi classes.
Of course, Force wielders in general work better than tech, but there’s a fun easter egg if you played through everything as a Jedi Knight and do this Flashpoint on an Imperial toon.
Spirit of Vengeance
Spirit of Vengeance is another Flashpoint, but it’s a complete 180° in terms of best class to bring. The namesake refers to Mandalore’s ship, so a Bounty Hunter is your best option. Make sure you do the class story, though. Don’t use a Level 70 Character token to skip to Onslaught.
The other tech classes work fine as well, particularly if you play them as being more underworld-oriented, like any Smuggler, of course, but also a corrupt Republic Trooper or disavowed Imperial Agent.
Legacy of the Sith
Legacy of the Sith features the most story content in a single expansion outside of KotFE and KotET, both of which were released in their entirety in the span of a year.
Different aspects of the story strongly appeal to different classes, but Bounty Hunters are the most consistent.
You can still play through it with a Force wielder, but they’re going to characterize the Mandalorian conflict as an annoyance or distraction from bigger problems the galaxy is facing.
I think this, coupled with the fact that the story has been released in pieces once every 6 months and that previous expansions more heavily favored, or were at least more applicable to, Force wielders are the reasons why Legacy of the Sith has gotten more mixed reception from the players.
Manaan
Manaan is a return to unique stories for each faction. The overall dynamic is very similar to Makeb, albeit with the Empire having regained its footing. It’s better for non-underworld classes because it’s about the war effort, but you can make everything work.
The Empire’s operations are more covert and feature a meddlesome Sith, making the Manaan story a perfect fit for the Imperial Agent.
Meanwhile, the Republic story has you teaming up with a magnificent Selkath colonel, defending their homeworld while protecting your faction’s supply of Kolto. It is great fit for the Trooper.
Ruhnuk
Ruhnuk, like much of Legacy of the Sith in general, is focused on the Mandalorian conflict, so it works best if you bring a Mandalorian of your own, namely, a Bounty Hunter.
Interpreter’s Retreat
The Interpreter’s Retreat takes place at a new landing zone on Voss, so it’s Vossy. You had your reasons to visit the planet back in your origin story and those still hold up here. Everything works.
Kessan’s Landing
Kessan’s Landing is a new landing zone on Ord Mantell. Smugglers and Troopers have a bit of history here, so they are a great fit, but you’re dealing with Mandalorian problems, so the Bounty Hunter is also great.
Even though the location is more tailored to Republic players and the underworld element, I had a lot of fun scheming with Darth Krovos here as a Sith Inquisitor. It all felt very relevant and official. The same is true for the Sith Warrior, though with a slightly different dynamic given your separate roles in the Empire.
Minboosa District
The Minboosa District is a new landing zone on Hutta dealing with more Mandalorian politics/warfare, and along with the fact that they got their start on this planet means Bounty Hunters are the best fit.
There’s also some Force-related shenanigans that make any of the Force-wielders a solid fit and you have a couple of really cool choices to make at the end.
It’s harder to justify bringing a Trooper or Imperial Agent here. The Imperial Agent has a bit of background on Hutta, but playing around in literal muck seems beneath their station at this point in the story.
Galactic Threads
Galactic Threads has something for everyone. There are several different missions each focusing on a different element of the Legacy of the Sith storyline.
Everything
If you want to bring a single class through all of the expansion content, any of the Jedi or Sith classes are your best bet. Some of the content is more heavily tailored to the Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior, but there are a lot of great moments that appeal better to the Sith Inquisitor or Jedi Consular.
Tech classes are more of a mixed bag. They don’t have a strong place in any of the Force-centric stuff, and there’s a lot of it, particularly in the earlier expansions. It’s easier to make a case for some important Jedi or Sith showing up at any major galactic event.
That being said, there are some great moments where it is better to bring one of those tech classes.
It’s really unfortunate that the writers have consistently chosen to emphasize and distinguish player faction rather than Force vs tech in their stories.
The Republic vs Imperial stories are definitely interesting, but it seems like a better approach given finite development resources would be just to write separate stories for Force and tech with Republic vs Empire as the backdrop instead of the narrative focus.
That way, the post-origin story is naturally more about morality and allegiance in a way that allows each origin story to stay relevant to the plot.
You can use our SWTOR Story Order, Timeline and Progression Guide to track your progression and fine out the exact timeline of all events in the SWTOR timeline.
Summary
| Expansion | Content | Empire | Republic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makeb | Makeb | Imperial Agent | Republic Trooper |
| Shadow of Revan | Forged Alliances | Sith Warrior | Jedi Consular |
| Shadow of Revan | Rishi | Bounty Hunter | Smuggler |
| Shadow of Revan | Yavin 4 | Sith Classes | Jedi Consular |
| Shadow of Revan | Ziost | Sith Warrior | Jedi Knight |
| KotFE and KotET | All Chapters | Sith Classes | Jedi Classes |
| Onslaught | Ossus | Sith Classes | Jedi Classes |
| Onslaught | Onderon, Mek-Sha, and Objective Meridian | Sith Classes | Jedi Classes |
| Onslaught | Echoes of Oblivion | Sith Classes | Jedi Knight |
| Onslaught | Secrets of the Enclave | Sith Classes | Jedi Knight |
| Onslaught | Spirit of Vengeance | Bounty Hunter | Any |
| Legacy of the Sith | Overall | Bounty Hunter | Jedi Classes |
| Legacy of the Sith | Manaan | Imperial Agent | Republic Trooper |
| Legacy of the Sith | Ruhnuk | Bounty Hunter | Any |
| Legacy of the Sith | Interpreter’s Retreat | Any | Any |
| Legacy of the Sith | Kessan’s Landing | Bounty Hunter | Tech Classes |
| Legacy of the Sith | Minboosa District | Bounty Hunter | Any |
| Legacy of the Sith | Galactic Threads | Any | Any |
