Karist Dem was a Jedi during the time of the war between the Jedi Army of Light and the Sith Brotherhood of Darkness. Karist eventually encountered one of the Sith Brotherhood's most fierce soldiers, Kaox Krul. In a personal combat battle with Krul, Karist was felled and became one with the Force. As he died however, Krul claimed Karist's lightsaber from his hand claiming it as his own. In his crusade of murder, Krul used Karist's lightsaber to murder many more people, most of them innocents, including the Jedi Knights Crian Maru and her apprentice, Dree Vandap.