These are all the currently released expansions that follow the class stories, in the order which you are meant to do them.
Before we begin: the mission console
On your ship, you will see this:
This is your mission console, where you can begin any of the expansions whenever you like as soon as you reach their required levels. It's not necessary to use it except when directed to by your mission log, but it's a nice thing to know about.
Ilum
This planet becomes available at level 47, but it automatically starts after completing Chapter 3 and is meant to be a sort of epilogue to the class stories. Ilum's storyline concludes with a pair of back-to-back flashpoints, The Battle of Ilum and The False Emperor. Ilum isn't mandatory, but I definitely recommend doing it at least once.
Rise of the Hutt Cartel (Makeb)
You can skip this and miss nothing story-critical. Really. It's effectively a filler episode and features some really annoying boss fights. You are still welcome to do it if you wish, and it can be started from your mission console at level 51.
CZ-198 and Oricon
These are side planets and completely optional, and because they end with group content, neither can be completed if you're playing solo. Both become available at level 55.
Forged Alliances/Shadow of Revan (Rishi and Yavin 4)
This is where all the foreshadowing from Dromund Kaas, Taral V, Maelstrom Prison, Boarding Party, and The Foundry pays off. Forged Alliances is a series of four flashpoints that can be picked up at level 53 from a droid near the Mission Departures elevator on the Fleet. It looks like this:
The four flashpoints are Korriban Incursion, Assault on Tython, Depths of Manaan, and Legacy of the Rakata. If you're playing a Republic character, Korriban Incursion will come before Assault on Tython, but if you're playing an Imperial character, they will be switched.
Shadow of Revan begins automatically after completing Forged Alliances. It features the flashpoints Blood Hunt, which comes halfway through Rishi, and Battle of Rishi, which marks the end of Rishi and the beginning of Yavin 4.
Rise of the Emperor (Ziost)
Ziost serves as an epilogue to Shadow of Revan and a prologue to Knights of the Fallen Empire. It starts automatically after completing Shadow of Revan and can be accessed from your mission console at level 60.
Note: Everything after Ziost requires a subscription. However, if you subscribe once and immediately cancel your subscription, all of the other expansions will be permanently unlocked and your max level cap will be raised from 60 to 80.
Knights of the Fallen Empire/Knights of the Eternal Throne
These expansions are game-changers—literally. Instead of hopping from planet to planet like everything you've done previously, they're divided into chapters (basically glorified flashpoints). Fallen Empire consists of sixteen chapters and Eternal Throne of nine. KotFE Chapter 9 serves as a bit of a breather, since it has no combat and is entirely made up of dialogue. KotFE can be picked up from your mission console at level 60. KotET begins automatically after completing KotFE.
Everything that auto-completes and becomes unavailable if you haven't already done it before starting Fallen Empire:
- Your class story
- All of your companion conversations
- Forged Alliances
- Shadow of Revan
- Rise of the Emperor
For reasons I won't spoil, you're also really going to want to do the following:
- Complete all eight class stories.
- Make sure all of your companions are at least influence level 10.
- Grab anything from your cargo hold that you might want in the near future, because you won't be able to access it for a while.
The War for Iokath (Iokath)/Fractured Alliances
We return—permanently—to the planet-hopping format with this expansion, which can be picked up from your mission console at level 70.
During the Iokath storyline, you will be prompted to side with the Republic or the Empire. This choice does NOT lock in whether you remain loyal to your faction or sabotage them—that comes later, at the beginning of Jedi Under Siege.
Fractured Alliances is a series of three flashpoints (Crisis on Umbara, A Traitor Among the Chiss, and The Nathema Conspiracy) that begins automatically after finishing Iokath. At the end, there is a dialogue choice about whether you want to support the Republic or the Empire, but again, this choice is not final yet.
Jedi Under Siege (Ossus)/
Onslaught (Onderon and Mek-Sha)/Echoes of OblivionJedi Under Siege is a prologue to Onslaught and can be accessed from your mission console at level 70. It should be noted that starting this expansion will auto-complete all the previous expansions. This is also where you make the permanent decision to be a faction loyalist or saboteur in all future expansions, so choose carefully!
Onslaught picks up immediately where Jedi Under Siege leaves off and finishes with the Objective Meridian flashpoint. Echoes of Oblivion continues from there and contains spoilers for pretty much everything that came before it; in fact, it will likely make no sense at all if you skip ahead to Jedi Under Siege or haven't finished the Jedi Knight story. Just something to keep in mind.
Flashpoints: Spirit of Vengeance and Secrets of the Enclave
These flashpoints and their surrounding cutscenes comprise a sort of interlude leading up to Legacy of the Sith that continues the current storyline and officially kicks off a new one running parallel to it.
Legacy of the Sith (Manaan)
You cannot skip ahead to this expansion; you have to start with Jedi Under Siege and go from there. Legacy of the Sith concludes with the Ruins of Nul flashpoint.
Showdown on Ruhnuk (Ruhnuk)/Old Wounds/Chains in the Dark/Desperate Defiance
These latest updates feature new areas on Voss, Ord Mantell, and Hutta.
And with that, your journey is at an end...for now.
