Ki-Adi-Mundi/Legends

"Of all living Jedi, have you only the skills to defeat Sharad Hett."

- Yoda

Ki-Adi-Mundi was a Cerean Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council in the twilight years of the Galactic Republic. Hailing from the planet of Cerea, Mundi was granted the rare exception of being allowed to marry so that he could adhere to Cerean polygamous customs to accommodate for the species' low birthrate.

After being discovered by the mysterious Dark Woman at four years of age, Mundi was older than most when he was accepted into the Jedi Order. The Cerean eventually came under the tutelage of Grand Master Yoda and ascended to the rank of Jedi Knight. As a Knight, Mundi became watchman of the sector that his homeworld was a part of.

Later, after becoming a Jedi Master, Mundi was granted a seat on the Jedi Council and was considered among the august bodies upper tier along with Masters Yoda and Mace Windu. With the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Master Mundi was forced to take the title of General and take part in the fighting. He survived to the last days of the war, only being gunned down after the issuing of the treacherous Order 66 that largely destroyed the Order.

Early life and Knighthood
"Take him. We need a Jedi of our own, one who will be here always. This&hellip; must not go on."

- Ki-Adi-Mundi's father hands him over to An'ya Kuro

Ki-Adi-Mundi's potential was identified by a young An'ya Kuro, and he entered the order at the age of four&mdash;later than most of his peers. Despite this, he matured into a respected Jedi Knight under the tutelage of Yoda.

Having passed his Trials to become a Knight at the age of 25, Mundi returned to his homeworld of Cerea to liberate his people from Bin-Garda-Zon and his raiders, making good on a promise he had made to his father before leaving. However, he had learned that during his absence, Bin had grown old and blind and his daughter had taken over. Mundi was imprisoned and met with the old Bin, who had overheard everything and was prepared to slit his neck for such insolence. Mundi was able to fight his way out, defeating Bin's daughter and declared that the raiders disband. However, Bin attempted one last strike to regain leadership by throwing a knife at Mundi but he simply deflected it with the Force.

As Jedi Watchman of the sector to which his homeworld belonged, Ki-Adi-Mundi was responsible for the defense of Cerea and its simple, austere and pacifistic way of life. He was the only Jedi known to be allowed to marry before the New Jedi Order. He had married one bond wife and seven honor wives. Also, Ki-Adi-Mundi occasionally sat in on a number of Jedi Council meetings in the absence of other members. As such, Ki-Adi temporarily held a unique position on the Council as he had not attained the rank of Jedi Master.

Along with much of the older generation of Cereans, Ki-Adi-Mundi did not believe in the heavy use of technology, unlike the younger generation. When conflict broke out on Cerea, Ki-Adi-Mundi's daughter, Sylvn, was found to be involved with Maj-Odo-Nomor, which led to Ki-Adi-Mundi's personal entrance into the conflict. He was asked by the Council of Elders to track down the Band of Techrats, which led to his discovery of the smuggling ring led by Jabba the Hutt and Ephant Mon. Following the gangsters to Tatooine, Ki-Adi-Mundi rescued Sylvn and her friend Twin from the Hutt's clutches, but an ion storm allowed the criminals to escape and Mundi ended his search. While on Tatooine, Ki-Adi-Mundi felt a disturbance in the Force but did not search for it. Ki-Adi-Mundi would later believe that the disturbance had been Anakin Skywalker.

Jedi Master
"A person always takes his home with him, wherever he goes. Worlds are so vast&mdash;yet they fit easily into one's heart."

- Ki-Adi-Mundi

After his mission to Tatooine, Ki-Adi-Mundi learned that his wife Shea was with child and that he was nominated for a permanent Jedi Council seat as a result of Micah Giiett's death. Ki-Adi-Mundi was soon officially granted the rank of Jedi Master, even without having successfully trained an apprentice. Ki-Adi-Mundi was overwhelmed by the act of the Council and with modesty he continued to consider himself a "mere" Jedi Knight. This changed when he later trained his own Padawan, completing his own requirements for assuming the title of Master.

Ki-Adi-Mundi was present when the Jedi Council received a report from Qui-Gon Jinn about the existence of the Sith and the possible existence of the Chosen One. He was also present at the funeral for Qui-Gon Jinn on Naboo, and the victory celebration that followed it.

Following the Invasion of Naboo, Ki-Adi-Mundi again traveled to Tatooine, where he confirmed that a mysterious Tusken Raider chieftain was actually Sharad Hett. Ki-Adi-Mundi tried to convince Hett to return to Coruscant, but Hett refused, saying his place was with his people on Tatooine. When Hett was killed by Aurra Sing, Ki-Adi-Mundi took Hett's son A'Sharad as his Padawan and took him&mdash;among others&mdash;on missions to both Malastare and another mission to an uncharted world claimed by Quarren Senator Tikkes, though he would later turn him over to the Dark Woman for training.

Battle of Geonosis
In 22 BBY, Jedi Master Mace Windu assembled a 212 strong strike team to rescue the captured Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis. Master Mundi was among the leaders of this strike team, as well as among the few survivors. The ensuing Battle of Geonosis became the opening battle of the galaxywide Clone Wars. Ki-Adi was not in the finale circle of Jedi when the Separatist leader Count Dooku called for a temporary reprieve in the fighting, though he, alongside fellow Jedi Master Plo Koon, was escorted into it at blaster point by battle droids. It was only the timely arrival of Grand Master Yoda, accompanied by the newly formed Grand Army of the Republic, that allowed the remaining Jedi to escape. During the desert battle that followed, Ki-Adi-Mundi led an unsuccessful assault on the Droid Control Ship.

With the beginning of the war against the Separatists, Master Mundi was forced to take the title of General, along with other Jedi, and lead clone troopers on the front lines of war.

Battle of Hypori
Four months after Geonosis, Masters Mundi and Shaak Ti of the Jedi Council led clone forces and a team of Jedi consisting of Tarr Seirr, Aayla Secura, K'Kruhk, Sha'a Gi, and Daakman Barrek to Hypori. The force was dispatched based on intelligence gathered by Master Barrek and his apprentice that indicated the presence of a large droid factory on the planet. The mission was doomed from the beginning; as soon as the Republic assault ships exited hyperspace, orbital mines surrounding the planet decimated the cruisers, causing them to crash land behind enemy lines.

The entirety of the clone troops were slaughtered, while the seven remaining Jedi fled to the ruins of a crashed assault ship, hunted by the droid armies new leader; General Grievous. The Jedi were ultimately forced into battle against the cyborg, who defeated and killed a majority of them before a team of Advanced Recon Commandos sent by Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived to save Mundi, Ti and Secura were the only Jedi believed to have survive (K'Kruhk, though believed dead, did survive). Ki-Adi Mundi proved his skill with a lightsaber as he was the last Jedi standing against General Grievous despite being exhausted and facing a combat style never before seen by the Jedi and wielding an unfamiliar lightsaber.

Training Anakin
For a brief time during the wars, Ki-Adi-Mundi took over as Anakin Skywalker's master when Obi-Wan Kenobi was presumed dead after the Battle of Jabiim. When Obi-Wan was later found to have survived, Ki-Adi-Mundi returned Anakin to his Master, happy to be relieved of such a difficult and headstrong student.

Secret grieving
Ki-Adi-Mundi's duties as a General of the Grand Army of the Republic meant he was unable to go to the assistance of his own world, Cerea, when it was attacked. In the ensuing Battle of Cerea, Ki-Adi-Mundi's entire family&mdash;wives and daughters&mdash;all were killed by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Keeping the Jedi Code in mind, he grieved privately, but then returned to his duties.

Duel with Ventress
"Another time, Jedi.''" "It will be the last'' time, Sith."

- Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress and Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi.

After Republic troops were repeatedly ambushed and defeated by General Grievous, the Jedi Council deduced that the Separatists were somehow aware of their plans, and dispatched Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi to investigate the matter. The Cerean Jedi Master ultimately uncovered a traitor amongst the Senate and moved in to stop the Senator before he could provide the Confederacy with further details of the Jedi's war strategy. Master Mundi ambushed a meeting on Coruscant with a small force of clone troopers just as the Senator began the handover of a data disk with Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress. However, the treacherous Senator seemed to have second thoughts about his betrayal, and as he stalled, was in turn betrayed by his aide Messo, who stole the disc in the chaos as Mundi attacked. Launching himself from his transport, Mundi immediately engaged the Dark Jedi in a ferocious lightsaber duel. Ventress eventually made to escape, unable to withstand the combined onslaught from Mundi and the blaster fire of the clone troopers.

The Dark Acolyte made to commandeer the clone transport, however, was followed by Mundi and forced to abandoned the vessel, which plummeted to its destruction, injuring the Jedi Master. Immediately afterwards, Ki-Adi rushed to the side of the Senator, who had been mortally wounded by Ventress, and learnt that his treacherous aide would rendezvous with the Separatists on Mon Gazza.

Spurred by Palpatine to continue with their offensives, Mundi and Grand Master Yoda ultimately decided to send Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano to Mon Gazza in an effort to retrieve the stolen data; which they ultimately did.

Back to Geonosis
After Senator Padmé Amidala learned that Archduke Poggle the Lesser of Geonosis was conspiring with the Banking Clan to create huge droid foundries on his planet, the Jedi Council dispatched Jedi Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luminara Unduli to lead a full scale planetary invasion of the world. Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano were set to reinforce the invasion force when available from their duties battling General Grievous at Dorin.

Mundi, Kenobi, and Unduli departed Coruscant alongside Admiral Wullf Yularen with a massive invasion fleet consisting of Venator-class Star Destroyers and Acclamator I-class assault ships. After the invasion force had arrived in Geonosian space and entered the planet's orbit, Skywalker and Tano—having who had met with success in their intervention at Dorin, joined Mundi and Kenobi on the bridge of a Star Destroyer at the head of the fleet. With their ships in position, the four Jedi opened a communication to the Outer Rim Command and conferred with Jedi Generals Unduli, Yoda, and Mace Windu, and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Based on intelligence they had received, Mundi and Kenobi concluded that Poggle the Lesser was holed up within his primary droid factory, which was protected by a massive ray shield.

With their primary target being the shield generator, the Jedi planned to execute a three-pronged attack on the Geonosian defenses. Mundi and Clone Commander Jet would lead the northern advance, while Kenobi and Clone Commander CC-2224, nicknamed "Cody," commenced the central push. Skywalker, Tano, and Captain Rex, meanwhile, would execute the southern assault with their forces. The troops would rendezvous at a point a short distance away from the shield and converge on the generator to eliminate the threat and establish a defensive perimeter to their staging area. Although Tano noted that the defenses were heavily fortified, particularly a large wall armored with artillery emplacements, Skywalker believed that their approach would not lead them to the barricade. With their planning complete, the Jedi split up to mobilize forces for the coming battle.

Unfortunately, both Skywalker and Mundi's gunships were shot down during the first wave of the attack, while Kenobi suffered heavy losses. Luckily for the Cerean's forces however, he had ordered his AT-TE walkers to be released shortly before his ship succumbed to the Separatist fire, and as such, his injured men were able to take refuge in their as the small force made to rendezvous with Skywalker and Kenobi. As the walkers pressed forward, Mundi was forced to cut through a massive caltrop field with his lightsaber, so that the walkers could make it through unhindered, while Commander Jet had his request for reinforcements denied by Admiral Yularen.

Later, Mundi split up his troops, sending his AT-TE walkers to take a longer route to the rendezvous point while he himself went with a squad to examine a shortcut through a cave. There, the Jedi Master and his men were besieged by a group of Geonosian warriors. Although his men sustained heavy losses from the Geonosians, Mundi was able to cut through the grotto. At the other side of the cave, the Jedi Master had his flamethrower-wielding clone troopers fire their weapons at the Geonosians, killing most of them and unblocking the path out of the cave. Skywalker, Tano, Rex, and their detachment arrived to find the smoldering Geonosians falling out of the clifftop cave. Joining forces with Mundi, Skywalker contacted Admiral Yularen to request air support. Having reallocated resources since Commander Jet's previous request, Yularen dispatched a free Y-wing squadron to the rendezvous point, where Kenobi and Cody were suffering numerous casualties at the hands of the Geonosians initiating flying attacks from the sky and attack runs on the ground. As the Jedi Master prepared to take up arms alongside his men in what he believed would be a final stand against the Geonosians, the Y-wing bombers arrived, dropping their munitions on the advancing Separatist tanks. With the rest of his troops pressing on, Kenobi was greeted by the arrival of Skywalker, Tano, Mundi, and the rest of the forces.

The Jedi and their clone officers convened on the task still at hand: the destruction of the shield generator. Skywalker would lead a small squad into the shield and jam the Geonosians' scanners, rendering them unable to target the incoming AT-TE walkers. Once the walkers had taken out the shield, Mundi would then bring the rest of the troops in with the gunships. After all of the Republic forces were in position, Skywalker and Tano initiated their attack and charged through the shield with their men. Exchanging fire with the Geonosians, the Jedi and troopers took cover and threw EMP grenades at the proton and LR1K sonic cannons, temporarily disabling the Separatist guns. Unopposed by heavy fire, the AT-TE walkers marched through the shield and blasted the artillery stations and shield generator. As the shield was deactivated, Mundi and his gunships landed with additional reinforcements. All of the Geonosians in the area were forced to surrender, and the injured Generals Kenobi and Mundi were taken away in the gunships with Skywalker's expectations to see both of them back in action by the time the main droid foundry had been destroyed.

After the main foundry was destroyed, Master Mundi was fully healed of his injuries after a lengthy period in a bacta tank. He and Master Kenobi later communicated with Luminara Unduli as she tracked Poggle the Lesser across the Geonosian desert. General Mundi advised Unduli against continuing with the search, due to an incoming sandstorm, however, she insisted on pressing forward as Poggle was too important to the Separatists to be allowed to go free. When Unduli took refuge from the storm inside the Progate Temple, she contacted Masters Kenobi and Mundi who advised her to stay put and await reinforcements. However, during this conversation Unduli was attacked and overcome by zombie Geonosian warriors. Fortunately, however, Skywalker and Kenobi managed to rescue the Jedi Master and capture Poggle.

Death
"Just like the rest of them, though, he never caught whiff of what was really going on. Not until it was far too late."

- Entry from the Journal of the 501st

When the 21st Nova Corps became the Galactic Marines and were made independent of the 4th Sector Army, the Marines were placed under Ki-Adi-Mundi's command.

In the last months of the Clone Wars, Ki-Adi-Mundi fought alongside Commander Bacara of the Marines in the Battle of New Bornalex, Outer Rim Sieges and the Battle of Mygeeto (Clone Wars) where he was killed during Order 66. Surviving to the last days of the war, Ki-Adi-Mundi was one of the countless Jedi to fall to Order 66. During the Outer Rim Sieges, he was stationed on Mygeeto with Commander Bacara. He led the clones into the battle and told them to move forward, when they suddenly stopped. Ki-Adi-Mundi turned around, confused, to see that the clones had pointed their blasters at him. He managed to deflect five shots, killing two clones, however, the barrage of blaster fire from both the clones and the droid forces behind him overwhelmed the Cerean Jedi and he was hit several times before even hitting the ground dead.

When the Galactic Empire emerged, official records compiled by Sate Pestage stated that Ki-Adi-Mundi was executed because he was arming an explosive device on one of Mygeeto's bridges.

Personality and traits
Ki-Adi-Mundi was well known for his exceptional courage. Like all Cereans, his binary brain made him extremely logical and insightful and he was a skilled tactitian and diplomat. His distinctive head shape was often regarded with a certain curiosity by other species, and as a result, Ki-Adi-Mundi sometimes went to the extent of hiding it when on missions to remote, backwater worlds such as Tatooine. Unlike most Jedi, Mundi was given permission to marry, and when his family was killed in the Clone Wars he grieved for a while but soon let them go and returned to his duties.

Powers and abilities
"There is no such thing as luck."

- Ki-Adi Mundi

Ki-Adi-Mundi was trained as a Jedi Guardian and was considered one of the top ten swordsmen in the Jedi Order. He was known to use a one-handed style during combat which was possibly Makashi. During his duel with General Grievous he used the Ataru opening stance though it's unconfirmed if he actually practiced the style. Notably, Mundi was the last Jedi standing during the grueling duel with Grievous on Hypori despite being exhausted from the disastorous battle that preceded it and while facing a style of lightsaber combat never before encountered by the Order. Later, the Cerean proved his skills in a duel with the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress, who he forced into retreat.

Though he was trained as a Guardian, Mundi was also skilled in use of the Force. During his duel with Grievous, Mundi displayed the ability to produce powerful telekinetic blasts capable of creating a crater in the ground. Later, while battling Ventress, the Cerean demonstrated the ability to leap incredible heights; such as launching himself onto a nearby gunship in midair. He was also able to use Force healing to some degree as proven when he healed a broken collar bone during his mission to find Sharad Hett.

Behind the scenes
Ki-Adi-Mundi was played by Silas Carson in the movies; voiced by Jess Harnell in the Star Wars: Obi-Wan, Jedi Power Battles and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns video games; by Daran Norris in the 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars animated television series; and Brian George in the 2009 series.

Pre-Episode II videogames and the Episode I Ki-Adi-Mundi reveal that he had a purple lightsaber in 32 BBY, but later switched to a blue lightsaber. However, in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns, he uses a purple lightsaber, which is most likely just a simple error as it appears in the Battle of Geonosis mission in the Republic Campaign.

The design of a powerful Jedi character, later becoming Ki-Adi-Mundi, began as a reinterpretation of the elder Obi-Wan Kenobi and was then given whale-like characteristics.

Ki-Adi-Mundi's marriage and children appeared in the comics before Attack of the Clones, and thus prior to the knowledge that Jedi weren't allowed attachments such as marriage. This has since been retconned so as to be explained by the gender ratio on his home world having been 20 females to 1 male, thus requiring him to have several wives to allow the continuation of his species.

A scene was planned for Attack of the Clones in which Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon led four other Jedi on a raid of a Trade Federation ship. This scene did not appear in the final version of the film, but the rough cut and animatics later became available on the official website for registered Star Wars Hyperspace customers.

Ki-Adi-Mundi is the only major Jedi Council member (other than Yoda and Windu) to have a speaking role in the first three films (with the exception of Shaak Ti's deleted scene in Revenge of the Sith). Ex-Council member Jocasta Nu also had some dialogue in Episode II, but she had already left the august body.

Ki-Adi-Mundi's name may have something to do with the mammal called the coatimundi, perhaps because there are several more females than males in their groups, just as Ki-Adi-Mundi has multiple wives.

In a few Expanded Universe sources such as the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace scrapbook and The New Essential Guide to Characters, it is stated that Ki-Adi-Mundi was a Jedi Knight when he served on the High Council in Episode I. This conflicts with Episode III, in which Anakin Skywalker states that someone's being on the Council and not being a Master had never happened before in the history of the Jedi. As the films remain the highest level of canon (G-canon), the Expanded Universe has implemented a retcon which implies that Ki-Adi-Mundi's promotion to Jedi Master was still in progress right before the Naboo crisis. Later, Databank retcon locked Ki's promotion as being definitely before he took his first Padawan. To help smooth over this apparent conflict, fans have commonly suggested the possibilities that either Anakin was unaware of Ki-Adi-Mundi's history or was deliberately twisting facts in the vain hope of changing the Council's decision to refuse him the rank of Jedi Master.

In a probable error in Episode II, Ki-Adi-Mundi is shown fighting with a green-bladed lightsaber, caught in a shot of Padmé. Every other shot in the movie containing Ki-Adi-Mundi wielding a lightsaber shows him using a blue-bladed one. However, since Ki-Adi was captured during the battle, it is likely he was deprived of his lightsaber by the Geonosians and he was given an extra one or took one from a dead Jedi.

In the Outlander story arc of the Star Wars: Republic series, Ki-Adi-Mundi can be seen wearing a conical hat similar to the one made famous by the Whiphid Jedi K'Kruhk.

Early concept art for Episode III shows Ki-Adi-Mundi with an eye patch over his left eye.

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: I Am a Jedi
 * The Sith in the Shadow
 * The Lesson
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * Republic Commando: Order 66
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game