Sariss

Sariss was one of seven Dark Jedi attempting to reclaim the Valley of the Jedi some time after the Galactic Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor.

Biography
Sariss did not know that she was the daughter of Lord Cronal, one of the Prophets of the Dark Side who raised her in the ways of the dark side on Dromund Kaas. There Sariss first met her later master, Jerec. "Prophetess" was the alter ego assumed by Sariss on Tatooine, where, working in cooperation with local governor Tour Aryon, she posed as a local fortune teller as cover for her true job as a spy for the Secret Order of the Empire. As a fortune teller, she claimed that Wuher was the reincarnated soul of Cedo Partu. Wuher never allowed the Prophetess to enter Chalmun's Cantina.

Right before the Battle of Yavin, as part of her espionage, she trailed Jabba Desilijic Tiure and his bodyguards to Docking Bay 94 in Mos Eisley. Shortly thereafter, Sariss had to quickly make room for a group of stormtroopers rushing to the docking bay in a vain attempt to prevent the escape of the droid R2-D2, holder of data tapes containing the stolen plans of the first Death Star.

During the rebellion on Tatooine that followed the Battle of Endor, Sariss abandoned her post to become a Dark Jedi apprenticed to Jerec, although outwardly she claimed devotion to the Galactic Empire's Church of the Dark Side. In her role as a disciple of the quasi-religion, she seduced a wealthy Epicanthix mineral baron on Panatha, to whom she became engaged. She then seduced his son, Yun, whom she taught her "faith." She convinced Yun to kill his own father. She then gave the baron's wealth to Jerec and also gave Yun to Jerec as an apprentice.



She was killed in a duel with Kyle Katarn, after having killed Yun, who, out of sympathy with an unconscious Kyle, betrayed her; blocking her strike when she attempted to kill the helpless Kyle. Enraged with the loss of Yun, she was determined to destroy the self-trained Jedi. Having the upper hand through most of the duel, she made the mistake of underestimating Kyle, who killed her using a countering technique known as the Flowing Water Cut.

Powers and abilities
Sariss was quiet and reserved, but a formidable opponent in combat and deemed the most skilled lightsaber fighter of the seven Dark Jedi, relying almost exclusively on her fencing skills instead of using additional Force powers.

She was also the only known practitioner of Deadly Sight, allowing her a measure of ranged attack as well.

Behind the scenes
Sariss was played by Valerie Wildman.

In the non-canonical ending of Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, where Kyle chooses the dark side, he kills Yun instead of Sariss, and she later appears as Emperor Katarn's aide.

William C. Dietz and Dave Dorman, in their novella Dark Forces: Jedi Knight, add a further dimension to the relationship between Sariss and Yun. They reveal that she considered Yun a very good and talented student, and also that he was the closest thing to a friend she ever had. In the novella, Yun's block superficially injures her in the arm.

In the audio version of Dark Forces: Jedi Knight, Sariss deliberately kills Yun when he tries to stop her. She shows no remorse in Yun's death which enrages Kyle leading him to kill her.

The figure of the 'Prophetess' was initially only an uncredited extra appearing for a second in A New Hope. Afterwards, that figure's backstory as the "Prophetess" was created for the Star Wars Customizable Card Game. Abel G. Peña, in his The Dark Forces Saga articles, retconned the Prophetess and Sariss into the same character. An unidentified illustration for a Dark Side Adept in Threats of the Galaxy matched the appearance of a lightsaber-wielding Prophetess.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * The Star Wars Holiday Special
 * Dark Forces: Rebel Agent / audio drama
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
 * Dark Forces: Jedi Knight / audio drama
 * Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith

Notes and references
Sariss Sariss Sariss