Bendu

"Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and Bogan. The light and the dark. I'm the one in the middle. The Bendu."

- Bendu

Bendu was a Force-sensitive entity who resided on the remote planet of Atollon and claimed to represent the center of the Force, between the light side and the dark side. Bendu encountered Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus in 2 BBY.

Mentoring Kanan
An ancient being, Bendu claimed to represent the center of the Force, standing between the light and the dark side. In 2 BBY, Bendu lived on the planet Atollon where the Phoenix Squadron maintained a base. He called out to the Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, who was meditating outside Chopper Base. Kanan had retreated into meditation after losing his sight during a mission to Malachor. Bendu called out to Kanan and eventually led him into a series of mesas in the wilderness.

When Kanan finally arrived, Bendu told the Jedi Knight that his imbalance had awoken him from his slumber. After introducing himself, he allowed Kanan to identify himself as a Jedi Knight. Bendu listened as Kanan told him about his fear that his apprentice Ezra Bridger was falling to the dark side. When Kanan showed him the Sith holocron that Ezra had obtained on Malachor, Bendu explained that an object could not make someone good or evil. However, he stressed that only a person could choose to change themselves. The Bendu then took an interest in Kanan's sensor marker, which the Jedi had used to ward off several krykna, arachnid predators that were indigenous to Atollon.

Bendu then destroyed the sensor marker. When Kanan protested, he told the Jedi that he would never regain his sight but that he could teach Kanan to see through his other senses. When Kanan agreed to take his lesson, Bendu instructed the Jedi to empty his mind, turn around and walk forward. Kanan was quickly surrounded by two krykna which did not attack him. Bendu then explained that Kanan's bad experience with creatures stemmed from not seeing them for what they actually were. Kanan began to make peace with the krykna but was startled when he sensed that Ezra was in danger. After igniting his lightsaber, Kanan realized that the krykna had been feeding off his fear and emotions. When Kanan deduced that he had isolated himself from everyone and the Force, Bendu commented that he had finally regained his Force connection. Before leaving to rescue Ezra, Kanan left the Sith holocron with Bendu. Bendu then inspected the object and laughed.

Ezra's trials
After the former Sith Maul kidnapped the other crew of the Ghost, Kanan and Ezra traveled on a speeder bike to Bendu's lair in Atollon's wilderness. The two Jedi were surrounded by several krykna but Bendu awoke and scared them away. When Bendu asked the two Jedi whether they had come for a chat, Ezra related to the Force-wielder their predicament with Maul. Ezra and Kanan explained that Maul desired both the Sith holocron and Kanan's own Jedi holocron. While Bendu was unfamiliar with Maul, he remarked that the convergence of the Sith and Jedi holocrons would be dangerous.

Bendu corrected Ezra's view that the holocrons were merely libraries and pointed out that they could grant clarity of vision but also produce chaos. When Ezra reiterated that he needed the Sith holocron in order to save his friends, Bendu opined that the object was a source of imbalance between him and his master Kanan. However, he told the boy that he needed to enter a cave inhabited by krykna in order to retrieve the Sith holocron. Before entering the cave, Kanan instructed his apprentice to leave his lightsaber behind and to use a comlink instead. When Bendu inquired, Kanan explained that his apprentice needed to learn how to resolve problems with out a lightsaber.

While Bendu waited outside, the two Jedi ventured into the cave and managed to retrieve the Sith holocron after a trial which involved Ezra learning to overcome his fear of the krykna and forgiving himself for the events on Malachor. After Ezra and Kanan returned from the cave, Bendu expressed satisfaction that the imbalance between master and apprentice had been resolved. However, he warned the two Jedi that their true test had just begun. Since Maul was unable to open the Jedi holocron, Bendu warned that the task would have to fall on one of them. When Ezra suggests they could wield the power of both holocrons, Bendu warned him that it came with a price. He opined that once a secret was known, he stressed that it could not be unknown.

The specter of Maul
After Maul used the dark side of the Force to torment Ezra with Force visions, Ezra and Kanan traveled into the wilderness to seek help from Bendu. Bendu had been expecting them and remarked that they were not very "quiet creatures." When Ezra told Bendu that Maul had resurfaced, Bendu replied that joining the holocrons together would bring great wisdom and danger at the same time. Ezra admitted that this was the price of his power and that his vision was incomplete because he let go before the holocrons could reveal their full secrets.

Bendu remarked that this was not a good sign. When Bendu asked Ezra what he wanted, he advised Ezra and Kanan not to turn around. Despite his warnings, the two Jedi turned around and saw Maul watching them from atop a dune, at which Bendu made himself scarce and vanished. Maul then persuaded Ezra to come with him to Dathomir in return for keeping the location of Chopper Base a secret. Kanan and Sabine followed Maul and Ezra to Dathomir. Following a skirmish with the spirits of fallen Nightsisters, they discovered that the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi held the key to destroying the Sith.

Sabine's test
While the Mandalorian weapons expert Sabine Wren was undergoing instruction with the Darksaber, she went to a rock to contemplate on her fears and struggles about her family. Ezra went to comfort her and reassured her that Kanan meant well. Realizing that Ezra was right, Sabine went into the wilderness to clear her mind. As she left, the Bendu surfaced but did not initiate contact with her.

Personality and traits
Bendu was a wise and enigmatic being who existed as a balance between the light side and the dark side. He resembled a giant rocky monolith with two eyes, a flat nose, and a long beard. He was a powerful being who could control nature including the krykna spiders of Atollon. Bendu could also sense the presence of other Force-wielders from a distance. He was also a wise and patient teacher who believed that other Force-sensitive beings needed to learn to overcome their fears and imbalances through personal trials. He taught Kanan how to overcome his blindness as well as his fear of krykna by teaching the Jedi Knight how to rely on his senses.

While recognizing that the Sith holocron was dangerous, Bendu believed that only the user had the power to change themselves for better or worse. Bendu was immensely powerful and had the power to destroy a sensor marker with a mere flick of his hands. Bendu recognized that the convergence of Sith and Jedi holocrons had the power to produce clarity of vision but could also lead to chaos. He was concerned with the relationship between Kanan and his apprentice Ezra and believed that the two needed to repair it.

Powers and abilities
Bendu was an immensely powerful being who possessed incredible connections to the Force and could perceive the emotions of others. He also had the power to appear and disappear at will.

Behind the scenes
Bendu was first revealed in the trailer for the third season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels, and made his debut in the season's first episode, Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow. The character is voiced by famed Doctor Who actor Tom Baker. The term "Bendu" first appears in the original script for Star Wars as the name of the Jedi Knights, the "Jedi-Bendu."

Appearances

 * Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow