Hera Syndulla

"If all you do is fight for your own life, then your life is worth nothing!"

- Hera Syndulla

Hera Syndulla was a Twi'lek female rebel and the daughter of Twi'lek revolutionary Cham Syndulla who lived during the reign of the Galactic Empire. An adept pilot, Syndulla was the owner of the VCX-100 light freighter Ghost. She kept a secret blaster in her boot and was close with Kanan Jarrus, whom she effortlessly convinced to become a rebel.

Biography
"This thing hasn't flown in years!''" "You've got to talk to it right." "I thought I'' was a good pilot. But you&mdash;you're amazing."

- Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla

Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, Hera became a first rate starship pilot. Hera then met the former Jedi, Kanan Jarrus on the planet Gorse, where she convinced him to fight against the Empire. She was inspired to become a rebel by her father, the Twi'lek revolutionary Cham Syndulla, who had fought against the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the Clone Wars and the Empire after the war's end.

After raiding an Imperial supply convoy on Kanan' suggestion, Hera, Kanan, and C1-10P found themselves under attack by Imperial TIE/LN starfighters. After the attack disabled both the Ghost's shields and internal comm system, Hera and Kanan began giving Chopper conflicting orders over what to fix first. A comment from Kanan passed on to Hera by Chopper aggravated her enough to go on the offensive and destroy a TIE-fighter herself. Chopper wound up destroying the final starfighter, and his efforts were praised by Hera before she took the Ghost into hyperspace.

Another mission required Sabine Wren to create a diversion so the Ghost could take off. After Hera signaled Sabine that they were in position, the Mandalorian detonated an explosive in a TIE fighter landing platform, drawing attention from the departing Ghost. As the she flew away, Hera remarked to Sabine that the explosion was even visible from her position.

Stealing Crates from the Empire
Sometime later, Sabine, Zeb and Kanan were tasked with stealing some crates from the Empire. After a chase, Hera met fourteen year old Ezra Bridger. After losing the Imperials in space, they returned to the planet Lothal to give the crates to a weapons dealer. After selling the weapons and giving food to the poor people of Tarkintown, they headed in search of the Wookiee slaves. When they went to rescue the Wookiees from an Imperial transport, their transmissions were blocked. Hera and Ezra noticed a Star Destroyer coming out of hyperspace taking them aboard. Hera told Ezra to warn the other rebels who had gone aboard. When he did, they escaped the imperials except for Ezra himself who got grabbed by ISB Agent Kallus. Hera wanted to go back and save him but Sabine and Zeb protested against it. When Kanan and Chopper voted with her they went back. After they escaped again, Hera said Ezra's parents must be worried sick and was upset to hear that he had no parents. While Ezra was on board the Lawbringer, he learned that the Wookiees were really being held in the Spice Mines of Kessel so the rebels went there to save them. Hera was forced to flee the scene when the Ghost was ambushed by TIEs. She ran a 22 pickup to rescue her comrades. Upon returning to Lothal Ezra returned Kanan's holocron he grabbed earlier and Hera noticed he opened it proving that he was strong with the Force. Kanan gave Ezra the choice to join them which he agreed.

Theft of Disruptors
As the crew of the Ghost almost ran out of supplies such as food, explosives and fuel, they decided to accept another order from Vizago to steal a weapons shipment from the spaceport on Garel. To prevent being recognized by Imperials, they went to a spaceport on Lothal, where they boarded civilian commuter shuttle Star ST-45, while Hera went directly to Garel aboard on the Ghost. When in the Star ST-45 the rebels were able to find out where the weapons were and when they arrived Hera soon met with them, picking them up along with the weapons from bay 7. After they escaped with the weapons (revealed to be T-7 ion disruptor rifles) there was a fight between Ezra and Zeb in which the Lasat kicked the boy out of their cabin, because he was still shocked by the disruptors that the Empire used to kill his people. Hera then told Ezra that they were the weapons used to massacre the Lasat, Zeb’s people. When the crew landed, C-3PO, who had followed the rebels alongside R2-D2, mistaking the rebels for criminals, made an emergency call to Kallus' Star Destroyer, revealing the rebels' whereabouts. Therefore, their negotiations with Vizago were soon disturbed by the arrival of an Imperial transport ship with two All-Terrain Defense Pods and Vizago fled with half the shipment without paying. To avoid letting the Disruptors fall into the Imperial's hands, the rebels stayed at the location and Hera helped Sabine open the crates with the guns and then, to gain time, she shot the AT-DP which started to chase her. Meanwhile Sabine and R2-D2 had already overloaded the disruptors and their explosion caused everyone to fall including Zeb, who was fighting Kallus. With this Kallus almost killed him, but Ezra used the Force instinctively by saving him. Kanan asked Hera to get the boy on board, while he himself took the Lasat on the ship. During combat Chopper had already prepared the ship, so the group could flee. They were then able to meet with C-3PO's and R2-D2's owner, Senator Bail Organa on the Tantive IV, who paid them for returning his droids.

Fighter Flight
"Enough. This is my ship you're wrecking, and I want you off."

- Hera, to Ezra and Zeb

After making a mess in the cargo hold of the Ghost, Hera decided to expel Zeb and Ezra off the ship to buy supplies in a local town. Among the items Hera requested was a meiloorum, a fruit not naturally found on Lothal. Because of its rarity, Hera hoped Ezra and Zeb would be gone longer, leaving her and Kanan some time to relax. Some time later, Hera received a call from Zeb, who had stolen a TIE Fighter. Kanan then instructed them to hurry to the meeting point. When Ezra and Zeb failed to return in time, Hera began to worry. Thankfully, the two eventually returned. After hearing them out, the entire crew boarded the Ghost.

In search of Luminara
Later, the Rebels received information that Jedi Master Luminara Unduli was alive, but imprisoned in the Spire on Stygeon Prime. Despite the risks, they decided to attempt a rescue. Once they arrived, they left the Ghost behind in Chopper's hands, while the rest of the crew flew towards the prison on the Phantom, the ship's attack shuttle, but they soon realized it was a trap set by The Inquisitor to attract the surviving Jedi to their death. While waiting for her colleagues in the shuttle, camouflaged, the Phantom's sensors detect something approaching the shuttle, which Hera believed was a TIE fighter. Instead, a group of Tibidee appear, attracted to the jamming signal that they believed was a mating call. Syndulla detached the shuttle from the side of the prison and flew away, with the creatures following close behind her. Later, when his fellow rebels reached a hangar outside running away from the Inquisitor, they found a large number of soldiers assault, but Hera appeared with the herd of Tibidees (the Fleet), who attacked the soldiers thinking they were a threat and the Rebels were able to escape.

Destroying a Kyber Crystal
After Ezra Bridger spent some weeks infiltrated in the Imperial Academy of Lothal in order to steal a device with the location of an imperial carriage containing a huge Kyber crystal Hera and Kanan, aboard the Ghost, received the coordinates containing the device. At the time of receiving the coordinates, they received the information that Ezra would just flee after helping Jai Kell escape before the Inquisitor could take him away.

While heading to intercept the transport, Hera reassured Kanan and urged him to focus on the mission. Kanan, aboard the Phantom distracted several TIE fighters, while Hera managed to destroy the transport carrying the Kyber Crystal.

After that, there was a huge explosion and Kanan and Hera escaped by a whisker at the last moment. Then, they went back to Lothal to join the rest of Rebels and then she helped Jai Kell and his mother to hide from the Empire.

Mission to Fort Anaxes
Following intel from Fulcrum, Hera conducted a mission accompanied by Sabine and Ezra aboard the Phantom. After a close encounter with a squadron of Tie Fighters, Sabine commented that Fulcrum's intel had been questionable as of late, attempting to get Hera to reveal Fulcrum's identity. Hera asserted her authority over Sabine and told her she knew all she needed to. Hera then commanded Ezra and Zeb to run a diagnostic of the Phantom.

Unsatisfied with Hera's answers, Sabine insisted on accompanying her on a supply run to Fort Anaxes. Hera took off in the Phantom unaware that Ezra and Zeb had left a leak in the fuel line unfixed. Sabine asked more probing questions which Hera tactfully dodged, though Sabine was not fooled. Fulcrum then made contact with them informing them their supplies were unloaded. Sabine proceeded to mouth off to the contact, forcing them to break off communication, much to Hera's annoyance. Upon their arrival they discovered Fulcrum had fled their rendezvous point. Hera found a small symbol left by Fulcrum on one of the supply crates which she hid from Sabine.

Empire Day
Hera then assisted in rescuing Tseebo from Agent Kallus and his stormtroopers. After they discovered a homing beacon on the Phantom 's hull, Hera agreed to Kanan's plan to split up. Hera then arranged a rendezvous with Fulcrum's corvette. Before Tseebo left, Hera agreed to give his information on Ezra's parents to Ezra.

Lando's Job
After Zeb and Kanan lost Chopper in a game of Sabacc with the gambler Lando Calrissian, Hera took on a job from the man in order to reclaim her droid, which she reminded Zeb and Kanan wasn't theirs to gamble. Lando attempted to engratiate himself to the crewmemberss one at a time while simultaneously turning them against one another, a tactic Hera quickly took notice of.

When they rendezvoused with Lando's contact Hera went aboard with Lando and the Kanan. Lando subtly informed Hera of his plan without actually giving her instructions. To everyone's shock Lando offered Hera as a bargaining chip to the gangster Azmorigan in exchange for his mysterious piece of cargo. Hera chose to play along with Lando's rouse despite the imminent danger it put her in. Using her natural allure she dispatched Azmorigan and his guards using a food tray, which she wryly referred to as very useful. Using the escape pod Lando mentioned she managed to escape back to the Ghost where she punched Lando in the stomach but continued his job nonetheless.

Lando's cargo turned out to be a puffer pig which managed to prevent Hera from returning to the Ghost's cockpit by inflating itself and blocking the passage. Using the Ghost's signature modulation, Kanan piloted the ship past the imperial blockade on Lothal, despite some difficulties brought about by Zeb and Ezra. After breaking past the imperials, Hera berated Lando for his divide and conquer tactics and asserted herself as the commander of the crew, instructing Lando to follow her command.

Exposing Trayvis
Following the latest transmission from Gall Trayvis, the crew attempted to meet with him personally, after Hera and Ezra managed to decode the senator's hidden message. After sneaking into the senate building and meeting Trayvis they were immediately ambushed by Agent Kallus and his men. Trayvis suggested they surrender, but they managed to escape capture with Sabine's aid.

The crew fled into the sewers with Kallus in pursuit, but the senator's curious behavior began to arouse Hera's suspicions. Trayvis lagged behind and began asking her for information on their group and their activities. Hera had long been inspired by the broadcasts of Trayvis as a voice of resistance against the Empire, but quickly realized the senator was not what he appeared. Suspicious that his ineptitude during the escape was in fact an attempt to get them captured, she gave him her blaster and requested cover while she and Ezra deactivate a fan. Her theory proved correct as the deceitful Trayvis attempted to prevent them from escaping by holding them at blaster point. Hera turned his tactics against him and coaxed him into revealing his own secrets as an Imperial agent. Fortunately Hera had given Trayvis an uncharged blaster, allowing her to punch him unconscious and escape with the crew.

Disheartened by the revelation of the senator's deceit, Ezra expressed his concerns to Hera. She reassured him that things would get better as long as they had hope.

Tarkin Arrives
Hera received orders from Fulcrum not to attempt to rescue Kanan and take her crew into hiding. She reluctantly complied but following Ezra's defiance of the orders, Hera, while at first furious quickly resolved rescuing Kanan was the right thing to do. With the lead Ezra obtained from Devarionian smuggler Chikatro Vizago, they learned that since the comm towers destruction, the Empire started using courier droids to deliver data. To gain info on Kanan's whereabouts, Sabine Wren used her artistry skills and disguised Chopper as an Imperial Courier astromech. Then, the disguised droid boarded the Imperial ship in orbit. Chopper then sent coordinates to Hera and she took the Ghost up into space. She and the other Rebels attacked the ship, buying time for Chopper to get back to the Ghost. He was successful and the Ghost hurried back toward Lothal. Sabine then was able to confirm that Kanan was being taken to the Mustafar system. All Hera could say was that Kanan once said Mustafar was where Jedi went to die.

Mission to Mustafar
Ezra and Zeb revealed to Hera and Sabine that the TIE fighter they stole had not been destroyed as they earlier said, but was in fact hidden. Hera was almost angry at what they did, but decided that they should use it infiltrate the Star Destroyer that it holding Kanan captive. However, Sabine had painted it. All four were in the rescue Kanan before going on the Ghost while having the TIE at the bottom. Hera asked Ezra if Kanan was alive. Seeing through the Force, Ezra told her that he is alive.

After avoiding Imperial troops on board, Ezra found Kanan before they confronted the Inquisitor. After Kanan defeated the dark warrior, he and Hera were reunited. When joining the Rebel Alliance, they learned of Senator Bail Organa's name, and that "Fulcrum's" identity was Ahsoka Tano, an ex-Jedi Padawan who also survived Order 66. Soon they would know that the Emperor had sent a new hunter to Lothal - Darth Vader.

Personality and traits
Hera's personality was somewhat two-sided; while she exuded a no-nonsense style of command, she was also known for being a very warm and compassionate individual. As a highly capable pilot and captain, Hera took good care of her ship, as well as her crew. Upon meeting Ezra, Hera developed a sort of motherly bond with the boy as she had with the other crewmembers. She was a true believer in the rebel cause and inspired hope in the rest of the crew. She was also the only other crew member aware of Kanan's test after Ezra stole the latter's holocron. Hera was very close to Kanan, referring to him as "love" and usually confided in him. She was more than capable of putting her foot down when she saw conflict within the crew, such as sending Ezra and Zeb out on an errand together when the two had been fighting. While an adept fighter Hera was also very diplomatic and knew how to unite others to a common goal, often within her own crew.

A smart, tactful and highly observant individual, Hera could quickly detect a threat. As Lando Calrissian successfully played her crew members off one another to his own ends, Hera caught on to his trickery and put the con-man in his place. Her skills of deduction proved invaluable when her suspicions of Gall Trayvis allowed her to expose the man as an imperial agent.

Many considered her attractive, particularly Kanan but also less savory characters as well, including Azmorigan, Lando Calrissian, and even Agent Kallus. She knew how to use her natural charm and beauty to her advantage when necessary, as seen when she manipulated the gangster Azmorigan in order to escape his ship.

Behind the scenes
Hera Syndulla was first revealed as a character from the forthcoming animated series Star Wars Rebels at the January 2014 Nuremberg International Toy Fair, where the character was included on the packaging of a LEGO Star Wars Rebels set. A video introducing the character, who would be voiced by Vanessa Marshall, was released on February 20, 2014. Hera shares a surname with Cham Syndulla, a Twi'lek character from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. Cham Syndulla was revealed to be her father on February 23, 2015.

According to the Star Wars.com blogger James Burns, Hera Syndulla was named after the ancient Greek goddess Hera, whose name means "protector." Hera was the wife and the sister of the Greek god Zeus and was the goddess of women, childbirth, and marriage. Simon Kinberg and Dave Filoni also confirmed that Hera and several other characters in the television series were named after historical and Biblical characters in order to give their names a sense of purpose and meaning that would reflect their characters.

Non-canon history
Hera Syndulla appears in Angry Birds Star Wars II. At one point, she and Sabine rescued the street orphan Ezra Bridger from stormtroopers. They escaped from Agent Kallus, and Hera let Ezra join her crew aboard the Ghost.

In the LEGO Star Wars Rebels Movie Shorts, Hera, Kanan, and Zeb were drinking in the Mos Eisley Cantina when Ezra called for a rescue. The three left aboard the Ghost and managed to rescue him. Ezra then suggested they charge the Star Destroyer's bridge and hide behind it, and eventually the warship jumped to hyperspace. At another time, the Ghost was damaged by a Star Destroyer, forcing it to go to a space station for repairs. The rest of the crew was separated, and Hera went to a space station to make repairs. She avoided Imperials while she and Chopper collected parts. The rest of the crew arrived in time to finish repairs to their starship.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Kanan: The Last Padawan 1
 * Lords of the Sith
 * A New Dawn
 * Star Wars Rebels: Ghost Raid
 * Chopper Saves the Day
 * Sabine's Art Attack
 * Zeb to the Rescue
 * Ezra and the Pilot
 * Rise of the Rebels
 * Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
 * The Rebellion Begins
 * A New Hero
 * Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions
 * "Ring Race" in Star Wars Rebels Magazine 1
 * "Learning Patience" in Star Wars Rebels Magazine 2
 * "The fake Jedi" in Star Wars Rebels Magazine 3
 * Always Bet on Chopper
 * Star Wars Rebels: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
 * Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions
 * "Ring Race" in Star Wars Rebels Magazine 1
 * "Learning Patience" in Star Wars Rebels Magazine 2
 * "The fake Jedi" in Star Wars Rebels Magazine 3
 * Always Bet on Chopper
 * Star Wars Rebels: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
 * Always Bet on Chopper
 * Star Wars Rebels: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
 * Star Wars Rebels: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal

Non-canon appearances

 * Angry Birds Star Wars II
 * LEGO Star Wars Movie Short
 * LEGO Star Wars Movie Short