Having experienced the cusp of death multiple times throughout his life, Atra no longer cares to differentiate between living and dying. To him, the living and the dead are one and the same. As such, he places no higher value on those who still live when compared to those who have fallen. He also holds no personal inhibitions towards his own passing, merely living until he has fulfilled whatever purpose remains to him, and will welcome death as an old friend.

There is one thing certain in the circle of life: everyone dies. That immutable fact drives Atra's philosophy towards the galaxy around him. He will not recognize any one being as being greater than all others, nor will he accept any abuse of power that leads to what he considers to be an unsustainable cancer within society. When given the option, he will remind any who suffers such delusions just how equal everyone can be, either by his hand or their own.

Atra appears to be in a constant zen-like state, coming across as almost a stereotypical Light Side user through the use of Concealment and Quey'tek Meditation, at least until he chooses to show his true face. Like the opening of a dam, he can release his hold on his inner darkness and tap into the fears of those around him, while maintaining his calm nature. While cloaked in the shadows, Atra will often lecture others on the fallacies of light and dark, in a benevolent almost preacher-like manner, revealing his Perception of their persona. Despite this, he maintains his serene state while seeming completely at peace with the darkness he has chosen to reside in. Maintaining such a demeanor is quite delicate, requiring constant focus and control that can result in a jarring and furious shift if that control is lost.

Atra fully embraces the Dark Side of the Force, but does not follow to the rule of rage. He actively controls his animalistic nature and fury, choosing rather to indulge in his passions to fuel his connection to the Dark Side. As a result, he can maintain a calm and peaceful persona while being fully entrenched in the depths of darkness. In order to maintain this control, he must continually feed into his passion and desires in order to stave off the anger commonly associated with the Dark Side. For him, this means having to keep his need for companionship, and even his bloodlust, sated.

For Atra, there is never a need to hasten towards conflict. It comes to all equally, and in due time. As such, he will never charge his opponent, opting to take a slow and methodical approach akin to the slow march of death. He will observe his opponent, perceiving their actions and adapting his approach to theirs.

Rarely, if ever, will he make the first move, preferring to counter anyone zealous enough to throw the first punch. This approach is ideal for singular encounters, but can prove cumbersome against multiple opponents.

Atra knows that when it comes time to fight, winning is the only thing that matters. To this effect, Atra has no desire to waste energy at all. Relying on Djem So, he will eschew all trappings of flair and showmanship in favor of practicality. He will move in a straight line, never attacking unless it is to take advantage of an opening, or create one.

Additionally, he will simply move the absolute minimum amount to avoid harm when on the defensive, using his saber to counter only when necessary. While boring to an observer and relying entirely on the limits of his patience and control, it is highly effective against single targets while allowing him to conserve his stamina to overpower his opponent.