}); The Road to Episode Infinity

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Jedi of Yavin Academy Part V: Kam Solusar


      Name: Kam Solusar
       Species: 
Human
       Lightsaber Color: Purple
       Created by: Tom Veitch
       First Appearance: Dark Apprentice (1994)

Kam Solusar trained as a Dark Jedi under Emperor Palpatine. He was one of Palpatine's elite warriors when Luke Skywalker first encountered him on planet Nespiss VIII.

Luke and Kam both had fathers who served as Jedi in the Old Republic. During their first meeting, Luke faced off against Kam not using weapons, but in a board game called "Lightsider" where the two men tried to convince the other that their perspective was the correct one. Ultimately Luke convinced Kam to turn away from the Dark Side.

Whilst on Yavin IV, Kam became on of Luke's most promising students. He also met and fell in love with Tionne, another Jedi hopefull. The two were married and eventually served as masters of the Jedi Praxeum.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War Kam and Tionne moved the academy to the deep core planet of Eclipse. 



Behind the Scenes:

Kam Solusar was created by Tom Veitch for a planned comic series called "Lightsider". However, this project was cancelled and Kam's first comic appearance became Dark Empire II, where his backstory was left unexplained. 




Saturday, February 1, 2025

Jedi of Yavin Academy Part IV: Gantoris

 

Name: Gantoris
Species: Human (Eol Sha)
Lightsaber Color: Purple
Created by: Kevin J. Anderson
First Appearance: Jedi Search (1994)

Gantoris had dreams that a dark man would come for him, teach him magical powers and then the dark man would kill him. When Luke Skywalker came to planet Eol Sha, Gantoris assumed that Luke was the dark man from his dreams. Gantoris gave Skywalker two tests (escaping a volcano and battling a fireworm). When Luke did not perish Gantoris agreed to go with the Jedi. Gantoris thus became Luke's very first student of his Jedi Praxeum.

At Yavin, Gantoris did meet his "Dark Man", but it was not Luke Skywalker. The ghost of Exar-Kun, a Sith Lord, whispered to Gantoris in his dreams. Kun convinced the apprentice that Skywalker was withholding powerful secrets and the Sith instructed Gantoris on how to build a lightsaber. 

Weapon in hand, Gantoris challenged Skywalker to a duel. Luke's other students watched as Gantoris lashed out with his anger in an attempt to defeat the Jedi instructor. Luke countered with defensive techniques and was able to force-pull the lightsaber from the mutinous apprentice. To the surprise of his other students Luke chose not to punish or berate Gantoris for his actions.

Kun approached Gantoris that night with terrible visions of Gantoris' tribe being wiped out by Imperial forces. Gantoris attempted to attack the Sith with his lightsaber but Exar-Kun incinerated the Jedi apprentice on the spot.

His remains were discovered the next morning. Luke's faith in his ability to teach a new generation of Jedi was shook. Gantoris would be Luke's first failed student, but not his last. 

Behind the Scenes

Gantoris was instructed by Exar Kun to build a duel-phase lightsaber. These lightsabers had multiple Kyber crystals, which allowed sabers to quickly change length and even color.

The 2015 reference book "Ultimate Star Wars" confirmed that Darth Vader's lightsaber in canonically a duel-phase lightsaber.





Sunday, January 26, 2025

Jedi of Yavin Academy Part III: Streen



Name: Streen
Species: Human (Bespin)
Lightsaber Color: Blue
Created by: Kevin J. Anderson
First Appearance: Jedi Search (1994)

When Luke Skywalker was looking for candidates for his Jedi Academy, he heard rumours of a tibanna gas prospector who could detect eruptions of gas clouds, preempting even the abilities of droids. Luke sought out Streen on the planet Bespin where the man had been living in seclusion. Streen's uncontrolled power to detect the thoughts and feelings of those around him had driven him away from society. Streen agreed to accept Skywalker's offer to train him, so long as Luke could teach him to block the emotions of others. 

On Yavin IV, Streen learned the arts of telekinesis, Force illusions, and Jedi battle techniques, however Streen was strongest at manipulating the air around him. Whilst training, a dark presence lurked nearby. The ancient ghost of the Sith Exar Kun sought to destroy Skywalker and his trainees. Kun, in his efforts to defeat Skywalker, tricked Streen. Kun conjured an image of a Dark Man and Streen created a Force Storm to defeat this Dark Man. However Streen was actually attacking Master Skywalker. Later Streen and his fellow students were able to defeat Exar Kun, banishing Kun's spirit from Yavin IV, forever.

As time passed Streen became a Jedi Knight and eventually a Jedi Master. Eventually, Luke entrusted Streen to run his Jedi Academy. Streen would later fight in the Yuuzhan Vong war. He also attended the funeral of Mara Jade Skywalker in the year 40 ABY.

Behind the Scenes:

Though created by Kevin J. Anderson for his Jedi Academy trilogy, Streen would feature in many books by various authors including the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy by Michael P. Kube-McDowell (1996), "I, Jedi" by Michael A Stackpole (1998), Agents of Chaos I and II by James Luceno (2000), "Star by Star" by Troy Denning (2001), and others.

The final appearance of Streen in canon was his attendance at Mara Jade's funeral which was depicted in the 2007 sourcebook "Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force".



Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Jedi of Yavin Academy Part II: Kirana Ti

Name: Kirana Ti
Species: Human (Dathomir)
Lightsaber Color: Yellow
Created by: Dave Wolverton
First Appearance: The Courtship of Princess Leia (1994)

Kirana Ti was born into the Singing Mountain Clan on planet Dathomir. She fought with her clan against the evil Nightsisters. Though the witches of Dathomir were all force users, Kirana Ti was the first to leave the planet in order to study the ways of the Jedi. 

Kirana Ti was one of Luke Skywalker's original 12 students on Yavin IV. After a year at the academy she was promoted to Jedi Knight. Over the next several decades Ti would serve the New Republic in the Yuuzhan Vong War (25 ABY), the Dark Nest Crisis (36 ABY) and the Second Galactic Civil War (40 ABY).

Kirana's niece Sanola Ti eventually joined the Jedi order representing a new generation of Dathomir witches to convert to the ways of the Jedi.

Behind the Scenes

Though Kirana Ti does not feature in current Star Wars canon, many witches of Dathomir are important to the ongoing narrative. Asajj Ventress, Mother Talzin, and Morgan Elsbeth all carry on the mantel of Dave Wolverton's original Dathomir witches.

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Jedi of Yavin Academy Part I: Dorsk 81


Name: Dorsk 81
Species: Khommite
Lightsaber Color: Blue
Created by: Kevin J. Anderson
First Appearance: Dark Apprentice (1994)

The Jedi Praxeum was founded 7 years after the destruction of the second Death Star on the planet Yavin. Yavin itself was the site of the Rebel base during the first Death Star's destruction.


At the behest of Mom Mothma and the New Republic, Luke Skywalker was tasked in finding new Jedi candidates that could defend the New Republic in the same manner that the Jedi served the Old Republic.

Dorsk 81 was one of the first 12 students at Luke Skywalker's academy. He hailed from planet Khomm where the native race had perfected cloning and believed it was the best way to preserve their genetic lineage. Dorsk 81 was the 81st of 83 clones of the original Dorsk.

Admiral Daala of the Galactic Empire was determined to wipe out the Jedi of the new academy and targeted the planet Khomm as well as the academy itself. On Yavin, Dorsk bravely used the force in an attempt to thwart the incoming Imperial fleet but was killed by this effort.

Later another clone Dorsk 82, travelled to Yavin IV and studied 
under Master Skywalker in place of his fallen brother.



Behind the Scenes: 

Dorsk 81's death is recounted in the 1995 novel "Darksaber" by Kevin J. Anderson. It is said that Dorsk 81 used The Force to push back seventeen Star Destroyers. Fans have pointed out the over-powered nature of this plot point.

Dorsk 82 was subsequently killed in the 2001 novel "The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory I: Conquest".



Friday, April 1, 2022

Aliens of Doctor Who


Daleks were the unfortunate result of a thousand year war between two societies on the planet Skaro. The Kaleds and the Thals were two warring societies that started to suffer the ill effects of nuclear weapons. Eventually, a Kaled scientist named Davros genetically modified his people to only feel aggression and power, eliminating all other emotions from their biology. Davros then mutated the Kaleds into green squids and encased them into metal shells. The Daleks race is among the most feared in the known universe.


Wherever there are people, cybermen will inevitably emerge. Cybermen are the result of humans trying to extend their natural lifespan. They have evolved on Mondas, Telos, Voga, Planet 14, and even on Earth (in some multi-verses). Cybermen are almost always silver and often want to convert all other humans to Cybermen.




Long, long ago a humanoid race called the Shobogans resided on the planet Gallifrey. At some point this race gained the ability to regenerate their bodies and manipulate time. Gallifreians became the keepers of Time itself proclaiming it their mission to protect the timelines. The Time Lords were often at war with the Daleks, until a final last great “Time War” eliminated both from the universe. However, there were pockets of survivors here and there.



Sontarans are a cloned race. It is possible they have lost the ability to reproduce without the technology of cloning. It’s also possible that cloning is just a quicker way to reproduce. Sontarans are created for one thing only, war. They often awaken into the world right before they are deployed into battle. Many will not survive their first day. Individuals are typically ruthless and do not fear death. Their one weakness is said to be a “probit vent” on the back of their neck.




Weeping Angels are one of the more feared beings in the universe. They are made of stone and can not move while being observed. However if a living being ever comes in physical contact with an angel, the angel will feed on that being’s timestream. The prey of the Angel will be sent back in time and live a full life, but can never again travel back to their own time.



Silurians and Sea Devils (also known as Homo reptilia) are creatures native to Earth. They were a peaceful race living approximately 50 million years before the evolution of humans. They were the dominant life form on the planet. Silurians ruled over the land, whilst Sea Devils ruled over the seas. Then, geological changes pushed both races deep into the Earth where they decided to hibernate until conditions were better. 





The Judoon are an intimidating-looking species often employed as enforcers. Though Judoon are physically hardy, their small brains meant they had a narrow language and limited reasoning. The Judoon have two genders, with the females being identified by a stripe of hair atop their heads. The greatest dishonor for a Judoon is the loss of a horn, especially in battle.










Zygons are a shapeshifting species able to morph their bodies to look like any other being. When their planet is destroyed the surviving Zygons traveled to Earth, where they attempted to integrate themselves into the population. Eventually some Zygons and humans learned to coexist on Earth, though the existence of Zygons is still hidden from the greater population .





Ice Warriors were native to planet Mars. When Mars could no longer support life some Ice Warriors journeyed to Earth, which they aimed to conquer. Other members of the species went into deep hibernation on their home planet. Ice Warriors have a heightened sense of honor, which often drew them into wars, but also gave them the capacity for peace. At one point they were members of the Galactic Federation.








The Silence are a race that were genetically engineered by “The Church''. The members of “The Church” could confess their sins to a Silent, but once they looked away the confessers would neither remember the incident. In this way, no living being can remember what a Silent even looks like because it is not possible to recall the encounter. Eye Drives were devices specifically designed to store and maintain memories of encounters with The Silence.





Menoptera are a species which were brought to the planet Vortis. Though they were peaceful, they sometimes were forced to defend themselves against other species on Vortis, including the Zarbi. Their weapons included an Isop-tope which could decay the cells of an enemy. The Menoptera were winged and capable of flight. They also kept a fleet of space-capable vehicles.







Strictly speaking, the Slitheen are a family that hails from the Raxacoriofallapatorian species. The species is often green, but sometimes can have other pigments of skin including the orange Blathereen (rivals to the Slitheen). Slitheen hatch from eggs. In their natural form they are large, fast, and dangerous. However, Slitheen would often disguise themselves by killing a member of native population and turning the dead being into a “skin suit”. The greatest weakness of the Slitheen species was the fact that acetic acid caused them to explode.


Saturday, February 12, 2022

Aliens of The Book of Boba Fett (part 1)

:

 Klatooinians:
Klatoonians first appeared in the film “Return of the Jedi” as a species with a face similar to a Grey Hound. The species most recently appeared on screen as the marauders of planet Sorgan in Chapter 4 of the Mandalorian.
Klatooinians often worked as henchmen and bounty hunters. They were close associates to the Hutts for much of galactic history. The Klatooinians even worshipped the Hutts as god-like beings (partly due to the fact that the Hutts had an extensive lifespan).


Trandoshans:
Trandoshans first appeared in the film The Empire Strikes Back in the form of Bossk, the dinosaur-faced bounty hunter. Most recently they appeared in Chapter 2 of the Mandalorian. The Trandoshans in the Mandalorian  had a slightly different design, with much smaller snouts than Bossk. In the Book of Boba Fett, they now bear a closer resemblance to the original Bossk design.

Trandoshans are known as the greatest hunters in the Galaxy. More often than not, the prey they hunt is Wookiees. Trandoshans have the rare ability to grow their lost limbs back.


Aqualish:

Known as Walrus Man on the set of A New Hope and in the 70s toy-line, Ponda Baba was the first Aqualish to appear in the Star Wars franchise. Most recently the species was featured in The Mandalorian. 


The Aqualish were an intelligent species from planet Ando that varied in appearance. The Aquala were more adapted to a aquatic lifestyle and could be identified by two giant fins on the end of their arms. The Ualaq were arachnid-like with four eyes and five fingers who lived mostly on land. Finally the Quara were mammal like and their arms resembled wolf men (such as the Shistavanen). All Aqualish have bulbous tusks that protrude from their faces.







Nikto:

Nikto first appeared in Return of the Jedi, but have most recently been featured in The Mandalorian. In the book of Boba Fett, Nikto are featured as part of the Kintan Striders biker gang.

The Nikto are a species with many subspecies, which makes them hard to identify. The most common Nikto on screen are the “Red Nikto” (Kajain'sa'Nikto) and the “Green Nitko” (Kadas'sa'Nikto). Nikto tend to have spikes and horns on their faces.


Tuskens:

Tusken Raiders are  one of the most identifiable races in Star Wars. In The Book of Boba Fett we learn they have been on Tatooine since before the oceans dried

The Tuskens lived in nomadic clans who believed that the sparse water in the desert has been promised to them alone. Moisture farmers, who stole the water from the ground, were a direct threat to Tusken culture and it was for this reason that clans would sometimes attack farmers.



Pyke:
 The Pyke were introduced in the animated series "Clone Wars". They first appeared in live action form for the film Solo. The Pyke Syndicate are the main antagonists in The Book of Boba Fett and appear maskless for the first time in live action. 

Though the Pyke homeworld was Oba Diah, many members of the species spent time on Kessel where spice was mined. The Pykes were, however, allergic to the Kessel atmosphere and had to wear special armor and breathing tubes while on planet.