Jyn Erso

"This is a rebellion, isn't it? I rebel."

- Jyn Erso

Jyn Erso was a human female soldier and former criminal who fought for the Alliance to Restore the Republic as a sergeant during the Galactic Civil War. She was recruited by Mon Mothma, a leader of the Rebel Alliance, to take part in what became the theft of the Death Star plans.

Biography
"We have a mission for you. A major weapons test is imminent. We need to know what it is and how to destroy it."

- Mon Mothma

Jyn Erso was born to the scientist Galen and Lyra Erso sometime after the outbreak of the Clone Wars. During the war, Jyn and her parents were captured by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, however they were rescued by Orson Krennic, an old friend of her father's and a member of Republic Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine's top secret Death Star project. Jyn was separated from her parents at the age of fifteen years old, developing a reckless and rebellious streak. She had a number of incidents on her record, including the forgery of Imperial documents, possession of stolen property, aggravated assault, and resisting arrest.

Almost two decades into the Empire's reign, Erso was detained by the Rebel Alliance. However, with the Alliance having intercepted a transmission from her father, indicating that a major weapons test was about to occur, Erso was given another chance and was recruited by a leader of the Alliance, Mon Mothma, to learn more about the weapon test. As a result, Erso became a sergeant of the Alliance and involved in the theft of what the Rebels would discover to be the plans to the Death Star, an armored battle station capable of destroying entire planets, which would ultimately lead to the destruction of the station during the Battle of Yavin.

Personality and traits
"On your own from the age of fifteen. Reckless, aggressive, and undisciplined."

- Mon Mothma

Jyn Erso was a human female with short brown hair, green eyes, and light skin. She grew up on her own from the age of fifteen and, as a result of her upbringing, developed fighting skills and a keen knowledge of the galactic underworld. She was considered "reckless, aggressive, and undisciplined" by Mon Mothma. Having little patience for debate with Alliance High Command, she preferred to take matters into her own hands.

Behind the scenes
Jyn Erso, portrayed by Felicity Jones, is a character created and developed for the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Jones' involvement was announced on March 12, 2015, and her character was confirmed as a Rebel soldier at Celebration Anaheim. The first photo of the character was released during the 2015 D23 Expo, and the first footage of the character was shown in the Rogue One teaser trailer on April 7, 2016.

Her name resembles that of Jan Ors, a Star Wars Legends character that was also involved in a non-canon version of the story of how the Death Star plans were stolen told in the 1995 computer game Star Wars: Dark Forces.

Appearances

 * Catalyst
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Star Wars Battlefront