Previously having worked for CorSec, Blackwood developed a history for all too often dealing with the strangest cases. Either stumbling upon them or being drawn to them, his time in law enforcement saw him dealing with no shortage of vengeful Force ghosts, zombified Sith, cybernetic horrors, and relics of Dark Side cults. Thanks to these encounters, Blackwood has both developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of esoteric aspects of the Force, but also an extreme familiarity with how best to counter and oppose them. Unfortunately, knowledge and power are not the same thing, and Blackwood's own limited connection with the Force has all too often left him at a strength disadvantage when dealing with such threats.

Conceived as a servant by a now long-dead Sith Lord, Blackwood was born steeped in the Dark Side. Although he avoided his original fate of being turned into an instrument of destruction, and was granted even a degree of normality thanks to his adoptive human parents, trappings of his alchemically forged creation will forever cling to him. Those who sense Blackwood through the Force feel only a malevolent presence due to the methods used to create him, and aspects of the Dark Side even seem drawn to his presence. Although granting him some limited connection to the Force, this has become a source of frustration to Blackwood, as fate seemingly ensures that he will forever be drawn into encounters with the Sith and similar groups.

After a long career dealing with CorSec's strangest cases, Blackwood has developed an extremely unflappable mindset when facing the uncanny and macabre. You can only see so many neo-Krath rituals which have gone wrong, or an illegal cybernetic experiment turned bloodbath before it becomes almost mundane. This extreme familiarity and experience with all things Dark Side makes Blackwood difficult to unnerve, and he has come to treat dealing with such issues with a nonchalant and unflappable manner which is extremely hard to shake. Unfortunately, Blackwood all too often forgets or doesn't care that the average person doesn't call a bloody cult killing a Tuesday. Even when respectful of others, he very rarely pulls his punches on the details of his investigations, all too often horrifying those around him.

Even with his extensive knowledge of Sith sorcery, Nightsister magics, and a wealth of stranger cults, Blackwood makes a point of drawing the line at many things. He's seen all too well what digging too greedily and too deeply into forbidden lore can do to a person, and he makes a point of destroying or erasing any knowledge he feels is too dangerous, save perhaps for specific details on how to stop a threat. Nevertheless, this has earned him enemies on every side. Blackwood has been attacked by Sith seeking lost lore, Jedi who mistake him as a Sith, and even Dark Jedi who see him as a potential apprentice. Blackwood has long been forced to accept that, no matter how careful he is or who he sides with, his line of work will always make him an outsider.

When it comes to a fight, some like to posture, some like to act tough, some like to dance around and go through all sorts of fancy footwork. John Blackwood? John Blackwood doesn't bother with exotic battle stances, intricate maneuvers, or super-secret tactics. John Blackwood, when cornered into a fight, prefers the ancient technique of a good kick to the nuts. And if that won't work, either because the enemy is a woman or has balls of steel, John Blackwood isn't beyond pulling a few more cheap tricks out of the bag. Granted, John Blackwood won't be winning any medals for nobility or any prestige for a unique fighting style or a superb maneuver, but John Blackwood will still be winning, the best and most dirty way he knows how.

Blackwood’s approach to fighting is one of turning any brawl into a puzzle. Favouring his skills in Perception and Investigation, Blackwood will work to pinpoint where to hit hardest and how to deny his foe opportunities to strike back. The brutality and crippling nature of these strikes is a key factor in such an approach, along with maintaining a steady momentum of strikes. Sometimes this is so simple as punching a telepathic opponent in the head so many times they cannot think straight. In others, it requires a much more substantial breakdown of damaging old wounds. Whatever its effectiveness, this is paired with the natural shortcoming in that it both requires Blackwood identify clear weaknesses in his foe and live long enough to exploit them.