An'ya Kuro

An’ya Kuro, who renamed herself the Dark Woman (c. 110 BBY – 1 BBY) was a controversial Jedi Master that served the Jedi Order in the final years of the Galactic Republic. A secretive and mysterious Jedi, Kuro abandoned her name as a sign of selflessness. Kuro was a human female who wore dark Jedi robes that contrasted her silver hair and used a purple-bladed lightsaber.

Early life
After attaining the level of Knight, Kuro began to travel the galaxy to find Force sensitive children that the Republic’s screening process missed. An early success of Kuro’s travels was her discovery of Ki-Adi-Mundi on Cerea. On Coruscant, Kuro convinced the Jedi Council to allow Ki-Adi-Mundi to begin training despite being older than most accepted younglings. When he was old enough, the Jedi Council chose to assign Ki-Adi-Mundi to Master Yoda for his Jedi training, lest an emotional relationship develop between Kuro and the young Cerean.

Kuro utilized unconventionally harsh but effective training methods that encouraged the Jedi Council to assign her difficult trainees. Her training methods produced strong Jedi that inherited a hint of Kuro’s darkness, as visible in her former Padawan Jon Antilles, but her record was not without failure.

Circa 53 BBY, Kuro discovered a Force-sensitive baby in the slums of Nar Shaddaa. Kuro brought the child to Coruscant like the other children Kuro had discovered in her wandering years and began her training. The child took the name Aurra Sing and was assigned by the Jedi Council to Kuro in the hopes that her harsh methods would break the aggressive streak of the youngling. Their efforts were in vain, however, and by age nine, Sing had still not attained the level of Padawan. While on assignment on Ord Namurt in 44 BBY, Sing was kidnapped by space pirates who convinced the young Jedi that she was sold off by her master. Sing, who had never been close to Kuro, believed the lie and began a lifelong grudge against the Jedi.

Exile and return
Demoralized by the loss of Sing, Kuro retreated to Cophrigin 5 to medidate on her role as a Jedi, her training techniques and the future. In 32 BBY, after twelve years of solitude, Kuro returned to Coruscant just as Ki-Adi-Mundi, now a famed Jedi Knight, was preparing for a mission to Tatooine. Before his departure, Kuro warned her former Padawan to take considerable care on Tatooine, as she had foreseen a great darkness approaching in her dreams.

Shortly thereafter, the assassination of two Jedi verified the rumors of Sing’s return as a Jedi-hunting assassin and bounty hunter. Kuro requested that the Jedi Council place her in charge of the hunt for her former Padawan, but she was denied on the grounds of her connection to Sing. Instead, Ki-Adi-Mundi, his new Padawan A'Sharad Hett, and Adi Gallia were dispatched the track Sing and bring her to justice. Kuro returned to Cophrigim 5, unaware that Sing had been hired to assassinate her. The Jedi task force converged on Kuro’s retreat just as Sing prepared to strike. Hett engaged Sing in battle and subdued the bounty hunter, but was forced to tap into his anger to ensure victory. Discouraged by the darkness he had seen in himself, Hett wished to give up on his Jedi training until Kuro offered to train him to control his anger. As the Jedi prepared to depart with Sing in tow, a meteor shower struck their landing site, forcing a hasty departure leaving the Anzati-trained assassin behind.

Clone Wars
Kuro accompanied Master Windu to Geonosis where she aided in the starfighter battle. During the Clone Wars, Kuro chose to aid the Republic as a spy rather than a general. Together with Tholme and Aayla Secura, Kuro infiltrated Devaron to verify rumors of a Separatist base. During their mission, Kuro was observed by Sing, who was on the planet to assassinate the Devaronian senator. Sing sprung a trap that pinned Tholme and Kuro under cavern rocks, but the young Secura was able to subdue Sing. The injured Jedi Masters recovered with bacta treatments and returned to Coruscant. Kuro’s participation during the remainder of the Clone Wars is unknown.

With the onset of the Great Jedi Purge and the establishment of the Galactic Empire, Kuro sought safety on Cophrigim 5. When Kuro’s hiding place was discovered, Darth Vader arrived to personally end the maverick Jedi Master. Kuro told Vader that she already accepted her fate, but nonetheless put up a fight. Eventually Vader brought down a huge tree on top of Kuro, trapping her. With a slash of his lightsaber, he ended her life. She appeared as a spirit to him immediately after her death. She told him that he still had the power to release Anakin Skywalker from the grip of the Dark Side. Then she disappeared and became one with the Force.

Appearances

 * Vow of Justice
 * Outlander
 * Emissaries to Malastare
 * The Hunt for Aurra Sing
 * Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
 * Jedi: Aayla Secura
 * Darth Vader: Extinction