Saesee Tiin

"Wing commanders, form up. We're going in."

- Saesee Tiin, during the Battle of Lola Sayu

Saesee Tiin, a Force-sensitive Iktotchi male from the moon Iktotch, was a Jedi Master who served on the Jedi High Council during the last years of the Galactic Republic. A skilled lightsaber combatant and starfighter pilot, Tiin fought in the Clone Wars as a Jedi General of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was slain by Darth Sidious when the Jedi confronted the Sith Lord, who was revealed to be the true identity of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.

Blockade of Naboo
A male Iktotchi born on the moon Iktotch, Saesee Tiin was eventually promoted to the rank of Jedi Master and appointed to a seat on the Jedi High Council prior to the blockade of Naboo by the Trade Federation. Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who had been sent by Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum to end the blockade alongside his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, came before the council after rescuing Queen Padmé Amidala and bringing her to Coruscant. He told the council that he believed he had encountered a Sith Lord on Tatooine and that a slave he freed, Anakin Skywalker, was the Chosen One. The council was skeptical of Jinn's claims and denied him permission to train Anakin due to him being too old. After Jinn was slain on Naboo by Darth Maul, Tiin and the council attended his funeral and decided to let Kenobi train Skywalker fulfilling Jinn's dying wish.

Battle of Geonosis
Tiin was a participant in the Battle of Geonosis, the first battle in the Clone Wars, against Count Dooku and the newly-formed Confederacy of Independent Systems and their armies of battle droids. Tiin, unlike many others in the battle, survived, having escaped alongside Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi, and became a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic.

A mysterious killer
During the Clone Wars, Tiin was present at the Jedi Temple when Delta Squad brought back the bodies of Jedi Master Halsey, and his apprentice Knox who were killed in the massacre on Devaron. Adi Gallia suspected it was the work of the presumed dead Asajj Ventress, however Plo Koon suspected it was a newly appointed Sith Lord. Obi-Wan Kenobi, on the other hand, suspected it was the work of a monstrous animal. The mysterious killer was revealed to be the Nightbrother Savage Opress, which surprised Kenobi as Opress appeared similar to Darth Maul who he had supposedly beaten on Naboo years before.

Battle of Lola Sayu
Tiin took part in the rescue of Even Piell, Wilhuff Tarkin and his men from the Citadel prison on Lola Sayu in which they were imprisoned, due to the fact that they were carrying vital information of hyperspace coordinates that could change the scale of the war to the faction in possession of the said secret information. Piell was killed by an Anooba that pounced on him. Tiin alongside Adi Gallia, Plo Koon and Kit Fisto, rescued what remained of the team and returned with them to Coruscant.

Water War
Kit Fisto, Anakin Skywalker, and all other Republic troops were trapped in a losing battle against their opposition's superior strength provided by the Quarren and Aqua droids. Kit Fisto and the others managed to contact the Jedi Temple with a faint signal, yet it was too weak and within moments collapsed. Windu understood the broken communication as sign of the Republic's impending defeat, however noting that it would take a considerable time to train any new SCUBA troopers, the situation was dire. On this topic, Yoda recommended that they should ask help from a suitable ally of the Republic. Master Tiin suggested they contact the Gungans who were an amphibious species with a standing army and planet located near Mon Cala.

Battle of Umbara
Anakin Skywalker, Pong Krell, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Saesee Tiin were all present during the Battle of Umbara with Pong Krell and Saesee Tiin's troops supporting Kenobi's troops in the south of the planet.

The Council's plot
Tiin was present during the funeral of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was in fact a plot created by the Council to infiltrate the ranks of bounty hunters and discover a plan created by Count Dooku to capture the Chancellor, which succeeded as Skywalker and Windu were able to prevent the Chancellor's assassination on Naboo.

Temple bombing
Tiin was present at the funeral for the victims of the bombing of the Jedi Temple, where in fact the culprit of the bombing was hiding among the present Jedi, Admirals and political figures.

Tiin also partook in deciding the expulsion of Jedi fugitive Ahsoka Tano after the bombing, where he, along with Masters Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi, did not believe Tano was innocent of the crime. Tiin noted that Tano had been found with nano-droid explosives, the same devices used in the bombing, which he felt alone was enough for her to be convicted. In the end, however, Tano's name was cleared after Barriss Offee, the actual bomber was uncovered by Anakin Skywalker. Tano was offered a place back in the Order, but refused.

A voice from beyond the grave
Later during the war, Tiin was present when Master Yoda felt he was hearing a voice from beyond the grave, but the combined power of all of the Council members could not find anything. Yoda left Coruscant after this without the Council's express permission. On the planet Dagobah Yoda had a vision that Tiin engaged in a lightsaber duel with Darth Sidious and was killed when Sidious stabbed him.

Death
Tiin was one of four masters sent to arrest Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, revealed by Anakin Skywalker to be the powerful Sith Lord Darth Sidious, along with Fisto, Agen Kolar and Windu. Sidious, however, resisted his arrest, instead pulling out his red lightsaber and engaging the group of Jedi in combat. Despite the skills of the Jedi Masters, the Sith Lord quickly cut down Kolar and Tiin before engaging Windu and Fisto in a brief duel, killing Fisto and leaving only Windu to continue the fight, who was later slain by the Sith Lord.

Legacy
Shortly after the Battle of Fortress Vader, Vader entered a portal constructed by Lord Momin to resurrect his wife Padmé Amidala. While walking through visions, he encountered Tiin with along many Jedi with their lightsabers ready to battle him. However, Vader killed all the illusions, first impaling Tiin through the chest as the words "Let the past die" resounded in his mind.

Powers and abilities
Master Tiin had natural telepathic powers that were superior to most other Jedi, and was an ace starfighter pilot. He was also a skilled swordsman, something he proved numerous times during the Clone Wars. He was present at the opening foray on Geonosis, and was among the small circle of survivors that escaped from the Petranaki arena. By the end of the Clone Wars, Tiin's reputation was such that he was selected to aid in the arrest of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, alongside fellow Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Mace Windu.

Behind the scenes
Saesee Tiin was portrayed and voiced by several actors during the Star Wars prequel trilogy: Khan Bonfils in 1999's Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Jesse Jensen (brother of Kit Fisto's actor Zachariah Jensen) in 2002's Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Kenji Oates in 2005's Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. He was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show.

On playing Tiin in Attack of the Clones, Jesse Jensen's brother Zachariah, who was working as set carpenter, was originally suggested by Matt Sloan to play Tiin, but after director George Lucas and producer Rick McCallum met Zachariah, they gave him the role of Kit Fisto and Jesse was given the part of Tiin.

In the first draft of Revenge of the Sith, Tiin would have been killed alongside Ki-Adi-Mundi on Mygeeto during Order 66.

Non-canon appearances

 * Disney Infinity 3.0
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens