Bo-Katan Kryze

"Go back to your Republic and tell them what has happened.''" "That would likely lead to a Republic invasion of Mandalore." "''Yes, and Maul will die. But Mandalore will survive. We always survive."

- Bo-Katan Kryze and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Bo-Katan Kryze was a human female who was the leader of the Nite Owls and a lieutenant in Death Watch, a Mandalorian terrorist group. Kryze's sister, Satine, ruled as the Duchess of Mandalore, and Kryze sought to undo her pacifistic teachings, believing that Mandalore should take pride in its martial history. After Governor Pre Vizsla of Concordia was publicly exposed as the leader of Death Watch, the splinter group was exiled from the Mandalore system. In 19 BBY, Kryze and Vizsla discovered the Sith Lords Darth Maul and Savage Opress. With the Sith, Kryze and Vizsla plotted to reclaim Mandalore, and through Maul's planning, they united several criminal syndicates to form the Shadow Collective. Launching a takeover of Mandalore, Satine's rule was overthrown, and Vizsla took control of the planet.

However, Maul challenged Vizsla, and the Sith Lord defeated him, taking the throne and appointing Prime Minister Almec as a puppet leader. Kryze and a group of Mandalorian loyalists refused to recognize Maul's rule, and they liberated Satine from the royal prison, contacting Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi for help. Due to Mandalore's neutrality, Kenobi was forced to come alone, and he was captured by Maul, who then killed Satine. When Kenobi was brought to the prison, Kryze and her rebels freed the Jedi, and Mandalore was swept into a civil war as Maul's forces fought to reclaim him. Before Kenobi left the planet, Kryze requested that the Galactic Republic be informed of the events, hoping that a Republic invasion would result in Maul's death. Less than a year later, Kryze's desire was fulfilled, and the Republic laid siege to Mandalore, driving Maul from the planet. She then became Lady of House Kryze and Regent of Mandalore. However, she lost her position when she refused to follow the newly appointed Galactic Emperor, Palpatine and Clan Saxon took over.

During the Republic's occupation of Mandalore, the government reorganized into the Galactic Empire, and a new wave of violence claimed the planet. In 2 BBY, Clan Wren of Krownest chose to resist the Empire, leading the Imperial loyalists of Clan Saxon to fight them. These actions threw Mandalore into another civil war. During the war, Kryze encountered Countess Ursa Wren and Sabine Wren of Clan Wren, who were seeking a Mandalorian worthy of wielding the darksaber and claiming the title of Mand'alor. With the Wrens' approval, Kryze took the weapon and rallied the support of several Mandalorians.

Death Watch
"You get us what we need?''" "''Yes, and I have the information with me."

- Bo-Katan Kryze and Lux Bonteri

Bo-Katan Kryze was a human female born on the planet Mandalore into House Kryze. Kryze was the sister of Satine Kryze, who affectionately nicknamed her "Bo." Satine eventually became the Duchess of Mandalore, leading the pacifistic New Mandalorians. However, Bo-Katan believed in embracing Mandalore's martial past, so by 21 BBY, she joined Death Watch, a radical Mandalorian terrorist group which sought to revive their warring heritage. Within Death Watch, Bo-Katan served under the leadership of Pre Vizsla, former Governor of Mandalore's moon, Concordia, and she faithfully worked as his right-hand lieutenant, also leading the Nite Owls, an elite unit of warriors. However, Death Watch was exiled from the Mandalore system, so Bo-Katan and Death Watch established a temporary camp on Carlac, a snowy planet in the Outer Rim Territories.

In 20 BBY, Death Watch was contacted by Lux Bonteri, who claimed that his mother, Senator Mina Bonteri, had been betrayed and killed by Count Dooku, leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Death Watch had also been betrayed by Dooku, and Bonteri, who had gathered information of the count's whereabouts, wished to unite, seeking revenge. Vizsla agreed, and Bonteri traveled to Carlac. When Bonteri arrived, Kryze led a squad of Death Watch soldiers to meet him, verifying that he brought the information. Noticing that Bonteri was accompanied by a Togruta girl, Kryze asked who she was. The Togruta&mdash;secretly Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano&mdash;claimed to be Bonteri's betrothed. Wary of an approaching snow storm, Kryze ordered the squad to escort the new arrivals to the Death Watch camp.

At the camp, Kryze showed Bonteri and Tano to Vizsla's tent. When Vizsla entered, he requested Tano to leave, so Kryze brought the Togruta to a tent for Ming Po women who had been taken from a nearby village. Later, during a feast in the camp's main tent, Kryze stood by Vizsla as Chieftain Pieter of the Ming Po town arrived, demanding that the women be released. Vizsla agreed to return them in the morning, and Pieter left. However, when the morning came, Vizsla killed Pieter's granddaughter Tryla, and Death Watch destroyed the village. Tano attempted to stop the attack, revealing herself to be a Jedi, so Death Watch apprehended her and dragged her back to the camp.

However, Tano escaped her restraints, and Kryze prepared to fight the Jedi. Vizsla told Kryze to stand down, and he engaged Tano in lightsaber combat. Tano received help when a group of refurbished battle droids joined the fight, and Kryze fought off the new attackers, using her blaster pistols to down battle droid 513. During the battle, Tano and Bonteri boarded a landspeeder and fled. At Vizsla's command, Kryze and two other Mandalorians pursued, and the lieutenant landed on the speeder, brawling with the young Jedi. Tano ultimately bested Kryze, and the Mandalorian was kicked off the vehicle. Soon after, Bonteri and Tano escaped the planet.

Maul and the Shadow Collective
"Should we rub 'em out?''" "''No, I want to hear their story."

- Kryze and Pre Vizsla, finding Darth Maul and Savage Opress

Sometime later, Death Watch abandoned their base on Carlac and established a new camp on the moon Zanbar. In 19 BBY, Death Watch located an escape pod drifting through space, so Kryze, Vizsla, and a squad investigated. Entering the pod, the Mandalorians found lightsabers and two unconscious, wounded Zabraks&mdash;Darth Maul and Savage Opress, Sith Lords and brothers. Kryze asked if she should kill them, but Vizsla, curious of the pair's origins, ordered the Zabraks to be brought from the pod to a Kom'rk-class fighter. When the two were brought aboard, Kryze piloted the starship through hyperspace, back to Zandar. Once Maul awoke, Vizsla demanded to know who he was, while Kryze held Opress at gunpoint. Complying, Maul revealed they were Sith Lords and brothers. When Vizsla asked if they had an allegiance to Dooku, the Zabrak replied that they were allied with no one and that they sought revenge against the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi&mdash;the same Jedi responsible for Death Watch's exile.

After Maul healed, he met with Vizsla again, and they discussed plans to punish Kenobi and reclaim Mandalore. However, still impacted by Dooku's betrayal, Kryze reminded Vizsla that Death Watch's past alliance with Sith had ended poorly. When Kryze claimed the Sith were no better than Jedi, Maul Force choked the lieutenant, silencing her and stating that doubt would lead to failure. Maul proposed his plan once again, and he released Kryze. As Kryze recovered, Vizsla put Maul's proposal to a vote among Death Watch. Ultimately, the vote decided to join the Sith brothers and liberate Mandalore of Duchess Satine's New Mandalorians.

The first step in Maul's plan was to assemble an army&mdash;the Shadow Collective&mdash;beginning with the Black Sun crime syndicate. Kryze, Vizsla, and the Sith traveled to the Black Sun fortress on the planet Mustafar. There, the group met Ziton Moj, who took Vizsla, Maul, and Opress to see the Black Sun leaders while Kryze remained with the Death Watch warriors. The talks with the Black Sun failed, so Opress killed them, appointing Moj as the new leader and forcing him to join. With the additional forces, the newly formed Shadow Collective returned to Zanbar. Soon after, as Kryze, Vizsla, and Maul reviewed the plan, the camp was visited by the Pyke Syndicate. Their leader, Lom Pyke, greeted the trio, requesting to join their operation. Accepting, the offer, Vizsla ordered the Shadow Collective troops to prepare for travel to Nal Hutta, planning to recruit the Hutt Clan.

After arriving on the swampy planet, Kryze stayed with the ships while Vizsla and the Sith entered Gardulla the Hutt's Palace. The negotiations were unsuccessful, and fight broke out between Kryze's Nite Owls and the Hutts' soldiers. Vizsla ordered Kryze to secure the landing platform, and the Hutt forces retreated soon after. Kryze's warriors gave chase, and the lieutenant caught the Hutt crime lord Oruba. Maul demanded to know where to find the other Hutts, threatening the crime lord. Oruba named Jabba's Palace on the planet Tatooine, and Opress killed the Hutt. With the information, the Shadow Collective traveled to Tatooine, where Kryze led an attack on Jabba's Palace, and Maul forced Jabba and the Hutt families to join them. In the fight's aftermath, Vizsla advised Kryze to remain focused, revealing that he intended to betray Sith brothers once Mandalore was secured.

Takeover of Mandalore
"I claim this sword and my rightful place as leader of Death Watch.''" "Never. No outsider will ever rule Mandalore." "Hmm. If you will not join me, you will all die." "You're all traitors." "''Unfortunately for you, history will not see it that way. Execute them!"

- Darth Maul and Kryze, following Vizsla's demise

Back on Zanbar, Kryze, Maul, Vizsla, and the other conspirators prepared for the takeover, planning for Maul's Shadow Collective to strike targets in Sundari, Mandalore's capital, in order to make Kryze's Duchess sister look weak. Vizsla complimented Maul's plan, and Kryze agreed. After the meeting, however, Kryze consulted with Vizsla, saying that the plan was too risky, and that the Zabraks were untrustworthy. Vizsla addressed Kryze's concerns, explaining that after Maul's forces served their purpose, they would be executed. Kryze left to prepare her Nite Owls, and the Shadow Collective embarked for Mandalore.

On Mandalore, the syndicate criminals attacked the specified locations, throwing Sundari's population into turmoil. When Duchess Satine began a speech from the Sundari Royal Palace, Vizsla and Kryze arrived. Vizsla claimed that he was not responsible for the attacks, but that Death Watch would be able to save the city through armed opposition. Satine warned the populace to not listen to Vizsla, but her efforts failed, and the Sundari citizens chanted their support for Vizsla and Death Watch. When Vizsla finished his speech, he and Kryze returned to their ships.

With the support of Mandalore, the Death Watch forces began the next step of Maul's plan, apprehending the groups of Pyke Syndicate and Black Sun thugs throughout Sundari. In the city's Peace Park, Kryze led her Nite Owls to capture a group of criminals led by Moj, and Kryze reassured a trio of scared children. The witnesses of the Nite Owl's actions thanked the warriors, hailing Kryze's forces as saviors. With the city's faux liberation, the population praised Vizsla, and he, along with Kryze and other members of Death Watch, broke into the Royal Palace, arresting the Duchess and the New Mandalorian leaders. Following the arrest, Kryze, in front of the subdued Moj, Pyke, and Opress, gave a speech to the people of Sundari, introducing Vizsla as the new Prime Minister of Mandalore and crediting him with the captured criminals. The crowd responded to the presentation with great enthusiasm, affirming Death Watch's new support.

Later, Kryze brought Maul to meet with Death Watch. When they arrived in the palace, Vizsla stated that the captive Duchess would be used to lure Kenobi to Mandalore, creating an opportunity to kill the Jedi and finish their deal. However, Maul expressed his plans to expand to other star systems, and Vizsla responded by telling the Zabrak that his goals did not matter. On cue, Kryze and the Mandalorians pulled their blasters on the Sith Lord, taking him prisoner. With Maul in shackles, Kryze escorted him to the palace's balcony, where Vizsla addressed the citizens once more, stating that the violence was finally over. When the Zabrak struggled, Kryze clubbed him into submission with her blaster. Again, Vizsla denounced Satine's pacifistic methods, and the crowd chanted his name. When the speech concluded, Maul was imprisoned with his brother, Opress.

However, soon after Maul's imprisonment, he and Opress broke out, also freeing the corrupt, former Prime Minister, Almec. As Kryze and the rest of Death Watch were residing in the Royal Palace, the escaped trio arrived, and the Mandalorians raised their weapons at them. Maul demanded to duel Vizsla for control of Mandalore, and per Mandalorian tradition, Vizsla accepted. At Vizsla's word, Kryze threw Maul's lightsaber to the Zabrak, and Vizsla ignited his darksaber, beginning the duel. Without interfering, Kryze and the Mandalorians looked on as the two fought, and although Vizsla was skilled, the Sith Lord ultimately bested him. The Death Watch leader gave his last words, and to Kryze's horror, Maul decapitated Vizsla.

When Maul declared himself as the new leader of Death Watch, Kryze refused to accept his rule, claiming that no outsider would ever rule Mandalore. At Maul's word, the traditionalist Mandalorians took aim at the Nite Owls, and Kryze called them out as traitors. The Sith Lord ordered Death Watch to execute them, and a firefight began. Firing upon her former Death Watch comrades and throwing explosives to provide cover, Kryze and several Nite Owls fled the palace. Later, following Maul's claim to the throne, the Sith Lord reinstated Almec as Prime Minister. Serving as the Zabrak's puppet leader, Almec addressed the citizens of Sundari, claiming that Vizsla had been murdered by Duchess Satine, and that the Death Watch leader had appointed him as Prime Minister.

Battle of Sundari
After the narrow escape, Bo-Katan joined forces with her nephew Korkie Kryze and his classmates, Lagos, Soniee, and Amis. With the Death Watch loyalists, the group infiltrated the royal prison, incapacitating the guards and rescuing Satine. Bo-Katan's appearance initially alarmed Satine, but Korkie reassured the former Duchess that she was on their side. When Satine asked her sister why she was helping, Bo-Katan stated that the enemy of her enemy was her friend. Once outside, Satine said that they should contact the Jedi Order for help. However, Korkie explained that the frequencies within Sundari were jammed, so they would need to leave to get a signal through. At Bo-Katan's word, the soldiers boarded Mandalorian speeder bikes and Satine entered an airspeeder with her sister and Korkie.

As the group departed from the prison, they were spotted and pursued by Maul's Mandalorian super commandos. Acting quickly, Bo-Katan ordered her troops to engage them as she defended Satine's airspeeder. Despite Bo-Katan's efforts, the loyalists were overwhelmed, and the speeder was shot, crashing near the city's edge. Leaping from the damaged airspeeder, Satine ran beyond the city limits, sending a signal to the Jedi Order, requesting Kenobi's help. Bo-Katan and the Death Watch loyalists were forced to retreat, and Satine was captured.

Later, Kenobi arrived, and Bo-Katan watched him with interest, tracking the Jedi through Sundari. Soon after his arrival, Kenobi broke into the royal prison, attempting to liberate Satine. However, the rescue failed, and the two were brought before Maul, who killed Satine and ordered for Kenobi to be imprisoned. Devastated by Satine's death, Bo-Katan and her Mandalorian rebels ambushed Maul's warriors as they delivered Kenobi to the prison. Leaping onto the prison's landing pad, Bo-Katan fought Kenobi's escorts with hand-to-hand combat, quickly defeating them. Bo-Katan introduced herself to Kenobi, and she freed him from his restraints, returning his lightsaber and giving him a jetpack. With Kenobi and the loyalists, Bo-Katan blasted away from the prison.

Maul's forces acted to reclaim Kenobi, pursuing Bo-Katan and the rebels through the city. In the ensuing battle, Sundari became blackened by civil war, and Bo-Katan fought alongside Kenobi. Fighting their way toward a Kom'rk-class fighter, Bo-Katan told Kenobi to return to the Republic and inform the Galactic Senate of the events that transpired. Kenobi warned Bo-Katan that doing so would likely lead to a Republic invasion, but the Mandalorian was willing to accept those consequences if it meant the death of Maul and survival of Mandalore. Kenobi realized that Bo-Katan was Satine's sister, and he apologized for her loss, boarding the starfighter and escaping the planet.

Under the Empire
"All of Clan Wren saw who you've become. You could lead Mandalore.''" "''No. This was about my family. I'm not Mandalore's leader, but I'll find the person who is."

- Fenn Rau and Sabine Wren

Less than a year later, Kryze's wish for a Republic invasion was fulfilled. The 501st Legion of the Grand Army of the Republic, led by Tano and Clone Captain CT-7567 "Rex", laid siege to Maul's forces, driving the Sith Lord from the planet. However, it was at this time that the Republic reorganized into the Galactic Empire, and the Imperial occupation caused another wave of violence to erupt throughout Mandalore. Clan Saxon pledged loyalty to the new Empire, and former Shadow Collective member Gar Saxon became Mandalore's Imperial Viceroy and Governor.

Nearly two decades later, in 2 BBY, Clan Wren of Krownest chose to resist the Empire, and the Imperial loyalists of Clan Saxon fought them. Countess Ursa Wren killed Saxon, and Mandalore entered another civil war. During the civil war, Kryze encountered Countess Wren and her daughter, Sabine Wren, who were seeking a Mandalorian worthy of wielding the darksaber and claiming the title of Mand'alor. With the Wrens' approval, Kryze took the mantle of the darksaber, rallying the support of Clan Wren's forces and her own Nite Owls.

Personality and traits
"We allied ourselves with Sith before. Count Dooku, he betrayed us. Sith are no better than Jedi. They claim to be powerful, but we put these two back together after the Jedi gutted them."

- Kryze, expressing her disinterest in the Sith

Kryze was a human female with red hair, green eyes, and light-colored skin, and she stood at a height of 1.8 meters. She was born on Mandalore into House Kryze, and she was the sister of Duchess Satine, who nicknamed her "Bo." Kryze was a member of Death Watch, and she believed in restoring Mandalore's traditional heritage, even at the expense of her sister's rule. In Death Watch, Kryze was confident and sardonic, serving as Vizsla's loyal lieutenant. When Bonteri and Tano met with Death Watch on Carlac, Kryze assessed the Togruta, slapping her rear and judging that she was too skinny.

Despite her loyalty to Death Watch, Kryze had reservations concerning Maul and Opress. When Maul killed Vizsla and took the throne, Kryze refused to recognize the Sith Lord's claim to power. With the remaining Mandalorian loyalists, Kryze started a rebellion on Mandalore and attempted to liberate Satine from the royal prison. Kryze believed that the enemy of her enemy was her friend, so although she disliked the Jedi and Sith alike, Kryze joined forces with Kenobi after Maul killed Satine. The death of her sister devastated Kryze, and she was determined to end Maul's rule of Mandalore, even if it required a Republic invasion.

Skills and abilities
"Take 'em out."

- Kryze, commanding two of her Nite Owls

A fierce and deadly Mandalorian warrior, Kryze was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. She was also well-armed and was able to hold her ground against formidable opponents such as Tano and Maul's super commandos. With her skill set, Kryze led the Nite Owls, a group of Mandalorian warriors within Death Watch.

Equipment
"You ever use one of these before?"

- Kryze, handing Kenobi a jetpack

As a member of the Nite Owls, Kryze wore blue-and-white Mandalorian armor, gauntlets, and a jetpack. In combat, Kryze notably wielded dual WESTAR-35 blaster pistols, also utilizing dart launchers, gauntlet blades, and a grappling line.

Behind the scenes
Bo-Katan Kryze first appeared in "A Friend in Need," the fourteenth episode in the fourth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated television series. In the episode, which first aired on January 13, 2012, Kryze is a minor character, and she is voiced by Katee Sackhoff, an award-winning actress best known for her role as Kara Thrace in the science-fiction show Battlestar Galactica. She was not included in the original script for the episode, but director Dave Filoni added her in, having plans for the character in The Clone Wars' fifth season. The name "Bo-Katan" was created by Filoni as a nod to his wife's cat. Filoni's wife, Anne, calls the cat "boogie," and Filoni derived "Bo-Katan" from "boogie-cat-Anne." Filoni also wanted Kryze to have a unique helmet design, so he created a look based on a barn owl. For "A Friend in Need," Kryze's character sketch was finalized by Darren Marshall.

Following the season five episode "The Lawless," Kryze was set to return in The Clone Wars' finale. However, the show was cancelled in 2013, and the episode remained unfinished. The episode would have focused on the siege of Mandalore, featuring Kryze and her Mandalorians aiding Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex to free Mandalore from Darth Maul's rule. Additionally, the story would have shown Tano appointing Kryze as Mandalore's provisional leader. Although the episode was unfinished, Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group consider certain elements to be canon. In 2016, Sackhoff revealed that Kryze would return to television in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. At Celebration Orlando, Filoni confirmed that Kryze would appear in the fourth, final season of Rebels.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore