Star Wars has introduced another Jedi survivor of Order 66 to the canon. As Matt Stover’s novelization of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith made clear, the Clone Wars were the ultimate Jedi trap. They were engineered by Darth Sidious in order to leave the Jedi Order overextended and morally compromised. But Order 66 was Palpatine’s endgame, with Clone Troopers programmed to execute the Jedi at Sidious’ command.

Only a handful of Jedi survived, usually by luck rather than judgment. These survivors wound up on the run, hunted as traitors to the Empire. Many abandoned the Force entirely, attempting to live an ordinary life, hoping they could stay under the Empire’s radar. Others, like Cal Kestis, attempted to relaunch the Jedi Order. Darth Vader was personally assigned to hunt them down, and for a time he even led a group of powerful dark siders called the Inquisitors. The latest Star Wars novel, Dark Legends, reveals a new Order 66 survivor. The book is a collection of in-universe myths, all of which are supposed to contain more than a hint of truth, and in the case of one story – “The Orphanage” – there’s good reason to believe the bulk of the story is accurate.

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Star Wars: Every Jedi Who Survived Order 66 (In Canon)

“The Orphanage” tells the tale of an orphanage on the planet Gaaten. The Inquisitors were frequently visiting Gaaten in order to acquire Force-sensitive children, and they caught the attention of an Order 66 survivor called Kira Vantala. The book doesn’t go into detail about Kira, but she is described as a dark-skinned woman who wields a bright blue lightsaber. Curiously, the Inquisitors don’t appear to have known she survived the Purge, although the one on Gaaten – Second Sister – was able to recognize her at once; that makes sense, because Second Sister was herself a former Jedi Padawan, so she may well have trained with Kira.

Kira is portrayed as a relatively skilled combatant, and she manages to hold her own against Second Sister – no small feat given the Inquisitors were trained by Darth Vader himself. Over the course of the story, she actually gains a Padawan of her own, a Malloran called Elish who seems particularly strong in terms of raw empathic talents. The two defeat Second Sister together and then go their own way. Unfortunately they will undoubtedly have wound up hunted by Darth Vader now he knows they’re out there, so it’s safe to say their life expectancy isn’t great.

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There’s good reason to view “The Orphanage” as mostly accurate. The description of Second Sister matches perfectly with the Jedi: Fallen Order game, in which she played a major role. What’s more, the story matches perfectly with another tale told in the book Star Wars: Myths & Legends. That suggested Darth Vader was mysteriously kidnapping children, for reasons that have yet to be explained. Clearly the Inquisitors were part of this mission as well, and hopefully it won’t be long before Lucasfilm choose to explain just what they were doing.

Star Wars: Every Jedi Who Was Killed By Order 66 (In Canon)

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Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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