Skeleton Crew

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In the concluding episode of ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew‘, viewers learned more about the enigmatic character, Jod Na Nawood, portrayed by Jude Law. This elusive pirate captain was also a Force user, sparking curiosity among fans as to his past and any possible ties to the Jedi or Sith. Was he one of the Order 66 survivors, or a deceiver like Haja Estree from Obi-Wan Kenobi? The final episode (let’s hope it isn’t the last) of ‘Skeleton Crew’ disclosed Jod’s background.

It was revealed that Jod was discovered by a Jedi around his 10th birthday, and he shares this age with the main character, Wim. Jod refers to the Jedi using female pronouns and claims she imparted some skills to him before her demise. He describes her as someone who, despite being destitute like himself, saw potential in Jod, saying, “She may have been as desperate and disheveled as me, but she told me I had potential.

As a devoted movie-goer, I’ve got some insights about the series character, Jod. It seems clear now that he harbors some kind of link to the Jedi Order. However, considering his age, it’s unlikely he was a formal apprentice. In fact, the Council was on the verge of rejecting Anakin Skywalker for being too old for training. Jod never disclosed who his mentor was among the Jedi, but we now know it was a woman. Given Jod’s age, it appears his trainer must have been active during The Clone Wars era.

The phrase “desperate and ragged” could hint at a Jedi survivor of Order 66, who was pursued later on. But remember, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a literal survival story. It could simply refer to a Jedi experiencing hardships or facing challenges during their life.

In the realm of Star Wars, it’s quite plausible that we may discover Jod’s master as a new character in future seasons or novels. After all, guessing characters is part of the thrill (though not the only joy) in this universe. As for who the mystery Jedi, Nod, mentioned could be, there are two intriguing possibilities. They might be characters that appeared during The Clone Wars and had voice roles in Rey’s Force vision in The Rise of Skywalker, hinting at a more significant role within the saga as a whole.

Aayla Secura Would Be the Perfect Candidate

Aayla Secura is a Twi’lek Jedi, initially designed for the Star Wars: Republic comic series. George Lucas found her design captivating and decided to include her in the films. She made her debut as a background character in Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones, portrayed by Amy Allen from Industrial Light and Magic, who played one of the surviving Jedi knights during the Battle of Geonosis. Later, Allen reappeared in Revenge of the Sith, where her clone unit ended her life during the Order 66 incident on Felucia.

Jennifer Hale lent her voice to a character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and at George Lucas’s instruction, she gave the character a French accent because Lucas wanted to reflect the French resistance fighters from World War II. Later, Hale reprised her role to voice Aayla Secura, one of the many Jedi that Rey hears communicating with her through the Force during the climax of The Rise of Skywalker.

Similar to Boba Fett or Captain Phasma, Aayla Secura is a less prominent Star Wars figure who has garnered a significant fanbase independently. Interestingly, during The Clone Wars era, Aayla Secura did not have a Padawan – this detail sets her up as an unofficial master for Jod, allowing for the exploration of a fresh facet of Aayla’s personality and delving into Jod’s backstory.

In the “Jedi Crash” episode of The Clone Wars, it is suggested that she held a deep affection for her master, which made parting ways with him difficult during the war’s end. It’s possible that she hesitated to take on an apprentice until she found Jod. There’s a chance that she may have trained Jod briefly before he witnessed her death from afar in Revenge of the Sith, even though she wasn’t directly shown on screen during that scene. This isn’t unusual for Star Wars, as it often reinterprets movie moments by introducing characters from books, comics, or television shows who were previously unseen in the films.

In the last episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there’s a significant continuation from the end of Revenge of the Sith. Yoda warns about a dark path their thoughts might take, and the scene cuts to the next part in the movie, but The Clone Wars reveals what followed that warning. It turns out that Ahsoka Tano was on the call, which also included Jedi like Aayla Secura. This revelation adds depth to that scene by showing that just before her demise, Aayla spoke with the council about a young boy from Felucia who is Force-sensitive. This detail not only provides fresh insight into that conversation but also emphasizes the profound sorrow Jod experienced as he was on the brink of living the life of a Jedi that was abruptly snatched away by forces beyond his control.

Disclosing Aayla Secura’s past master, Quinlan Vos, would align thematically with the character he represented within the Jedi Order. Unconventional among the Jedi, Vos often acted as a maverick, even falling to the dark side momentarily but was redeemed by his affection for Asajj Ventress. In “Revenge of the Sith,” it’s mentioned that Vos repositioned his troops at Boz Pity. He managed to evade Order 66 in the series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” due to The Path, an underground network that aids Force-sensitives escaping The Empire. Given Secura’s deep bond with her master, it is possible that some of his qualities seeped into her personality, and potentially influenced Jod as well.

Discovering another potential Jedi knight from the Clone Wars era as Aayla Secura’s apprentice could shed new light on her death in Revenge of the Sith and offer opportunities for exploring her character further in future narratives. This revelation also highlights an intriguing lineage of master and apprentice, extending from Vos to Secura, then to this unknown Jedi knight. Interestingly, it hints at certain traits possibly being passed down through generations of teaching. However, since Secura perished quickly under Order 66, there might be some discrepancy between her and the Jedi Jod’s apprentice.

In other words, we may find another possible student of Jod from the Clone Wars period who could have been the one Jod was alluding to, a character known to have died before the original trilogy but the exact timeline remains uncertain — this individual did have an apprentice who strayed towards the dark side.

Luminara Unduli Was Likely Not in a Good Mental State at the End of the Clone Wars

A less fortunate candidate who might have mentored Jod, leading to a deeply moving narrative, is Luminara Unduli. Originating from the Star Wars universe, Luminara is a Mirialan Jedi who made her debut in Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Similar to Aayla Secura, she was among the warriors who emerged victorious from The Battle of Geonosis. Mary Oyaya portrayed the character in Attack of the Clones, while Fay David took over for a brief appearance on Kashyyyk during Revenge of the Sith. Luminara was further developed in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with Olivia d’Abo providing her voice and reprising this role as one of the many Jedi voices that Rey listens to in The Rise of Skywalker.

Luminara is primarily recognized for having mentored Barriss Offee, a Jedi apprentice who initially shared friendship with Ahsoka Tano. However, Offee developed a sense of disenchantment towards the Jedi Order, feeling they had deviated from their core values. Offee carried out an attack on the Jedi Temple and falsely accused her friend Ahsoka of the crime before eventually being exposed as the real culprit. This explains why Offee was absent alongside her master on Kashyyk during the events of Revenge of the Sith.

Initially trained by Luminara, Offee eventually joined the Imperial Sith Inquisitor ranks following the Republic’s downfall. However, she eventually renounced them to pursue her dream of becoming a compassionate healer like the Jedi. Tragically, Luminara never witnessed Offee’s redemption. Luminara bore the burden of knowing that her former apprentice abandoned Jedi principles, even though Offee was correct in asserting that the Jedi were under the influence of the dark side without realizing it.

It may seem surprising that Luminara, with a potential apprentice, would be the one to discover Jod during the closing days of the Clone Wars. However, this encounter serves as an ideal starting point for Jod’s narrative. It is suggested that Jod could have been living among humans on Kashyyyk, potentially stranded there, as he describes At Achrann’s misty landscape as reminiscent of his home planet, which Kashyyyk shares a resemblance. Star Wars: Rebels, an animated series, reveals that Luminara met her tragic end at the hands of the Empire. The Empire used Luminara’s remains as a lure to entice and eliminate any surviving Jedi after Order 66 was issued. This suggests that Luminara might have managed to evade Order 66 initially but was killed soon afterwards, with her body then being claimed by the Empire.

Connecting Jod as Luminara Jod’s prospective Jedi apprentice would link “Skeleton Crew,” “Revenge of the Sith,” and “Star Wars: Rebels.” This association would offer fresh perspectives on Luminara following her betrayal by Barriss Offee. Instead of distancing herself from others, she chose to aid a young boy in distress, potentially training him before meeting an untimely end soon after.

In this scenario, Jod could serve as a counterpart to Barriss Offee, and while Luminara’s first apprentice eventually returned to the light, her potential second one resorted to piracy for survival but may still find redemption in the future.

For almost a decade, George Lucas primarily explored the “Clone Wars” epoch of the Star Wars universe. This period revealed an immense depth in storytelling potential that has left numerous tales untold, particularly regarding Aayla Secura and Luminara Unduli. Although hints suggest either character might have been Jod’s Jedi mentor, their stories are crucial for providing additional context about him. Despite being killed during “Revenge of the Sith,” both Aayla Secura and Luminara Unduli still possess untold Star Wars narratives.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is now available to stream on Disney+.

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2025-01-21 05:02