Character Creation Guide, Part 1: Origin Stories

 This is the first thing you see when creating a new character in SWTOR.

Upon picking a faction, you'll be prompted to pick one of four origin stories, a combat style, and your character's gender. Gender can be changed when customizing your character's appearance. Your combat style determines your abilities. Your origin story is more commonly called your class, and from here on I'm going to refer to origin stories as classes for simplicity's sake.

There are eight classes in SWTOR, and each one has their own unique storyline. Each class story is divided into a prologue and three chapters. I will provide a brief, as-spoiler-free-as-possible summary of all the stories' first two chapters as well as their in-game descriptions so you can decide which ones sound like something you'd enjoy.

Republic

Jedi Knight
In-game description: Champions of peace and symbols of hope in dark times, Jedi Knights stand for the legacy of the Jedi Order.
My description: The Jedi Knight is your typical action-hero story and features the kind of stuff that comes to mind when you think of Star Wars. In Chapter 1, you're tasked with retrieving—or destroying—a number of secret Republic superweapon prototypes that have fallen into the wrong hands. In Chapter 2, you join an elite strike team of Jedi on a mission to capture the Sith Emperor.

Jedi Consular
In-game description: Visionaries, ambassadors, and seekers of hidden wisdom, Jedi Consulars have worked for millennia to promote peace and balance.
My description: In contrast to the Knight, the Consular focuses less on action and more on the day-to-day life of a Jedi. In Chapter 1, several Jedi masters have fallen victim to a mysterious Dark Side plague and it's up to you to cure them. In Chapter 2, you help out the Rift Alliance, a group of people representing worlds who are threatening to break away from the Republic.

Trooper
In-game description: Not all heroes carry lightsabers—some just have the will to fight. Troopers are the bravest and most determined of all.
My description: The Trooper is a war story that showcases the Republic's military and government—and the corruption therein. In Chapter 1, you hunt down Republic soldiers who have turned traitor and defected to the Empire. In Chapter 2, you recruit specialists to help take down an Imperial superweapon.

Smuggler
In-game description: Quick, clever, and answering to no one, Smugglers know that sometimes luck is more important than skill—but it never hurts to have both.
My description: The Smuggler gets the funniest dialogue by far and has a vibe I don't think I've ever seen anywhere else in Star Wars. In Chapter 1, you search for a legendary gangster's long-lost fortune, but you're not the only one looking. In Chapter 2, you become a privateer for the Republic and tangle with an Imperial admiral known as the Voidwolf.

Empire

Sith Warrior
In-game description: Strong in the dark side of the Force, Sith Warriors are entrusted with the task of destroying the Empire's enemies across the galaxy.
My description: The Sith Warrior revolves around the relationship between you and your master and is, surprisingly enough, the most nuanced of all the class stories. In Chapter 1, you track down a Jedi Padawan whose unique Force ability threatens to unravel your master's entire spy network. In Chapter 2, you carry out your master's plan to cripple the Republic's military leadership.

Sith Inquisitor
In-game description: Sinister and deceptive, Sith Inquisitors are prodigies of Force power and experts in manipulating their enemies.
My description: The Sith Inquisitor is perfect for those who want to channel their inner Emperor Palpatine and zap everything in sight. In Chapter 1, you travel around the galaxy looking for artifacts your master needs to complete an ancient Sith ritual. In Chapter 2, you absorb the power of Sith spirits in preparation to face an enemy on the Dark Council.

Bounty Hunter
In-game description: The Empire has many enemies—and they'll pay skilled Bounty Hunters handsomely to remove them with ruthless efficiency.
My description: The Bounty Hunter is exactly what is says on the tin: you hunt bounties. In Chapter 1, you take part in the Great Hunt, a contest to determine the best bounty hunter in the galaxy, but a fellow competitor is trying to sabotage you every step of the way. In Chapter 2, you join the Mandalorians and gain access to the Blacklist, a list of the galaxy's most dangerous and highly-priced targets.

Imperial Agent
In-game description: Unparalleled assassins and saboteurs, Agents are the secret weapons of the Sith Empire, helping to secure control of countless star systems.
My description: The Imperial Agent is a spy story that offers a look at what it's like to be a non-Sith in the Empire. In Chapter 1, you infiltrate and eliminate a number of terrorist cells throughout the galaxy. In Chapter 2, you go undercover in a team of Republic special agents, but get a little bit more than you bargained for.

IMPORTANT: While the class stories all take place at the same time in-universe and can be played in any order, the Sith Warrior story does contain a major spoiler for the Smuggler story, so I strongly recommend playing the Smuggler before the Sith Warrior.