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- "Rise, sisters. Undead sisters, rise from your sleep. The time has come. Awaken. You have been called upon."
- ―Daka, after delivering the Chant of Resurrection
Daka, also known as Old Daka, was an elderly female Nightsister who lived on Dathomir during the Clone Wars. The oldest and wisest of the Nightsisters, her knowledge of arcane magicks was unprecedented, lending her the reputation of being the most powerful member of her clan. The clan's leader, Mother Talzin, regarded Daka so in particular. One such ability was resurrecting the dead. The skill was notably used during the Battle of Dathomir, where the sisters stood against the vengeful Count Dooku's Confederacy of Independent Systems. The sisterhood's victory was not to be, however, as Daka was stabbed by one of Supreme Commander of the Droid Army General Grievous' lightsabers.
Biography[]
Daka lived as a Nightsister witch on the planet Dathomir.[3] Daka served as an elder in the clan,[5] thus being the oldest and wisest.[1] Being an elder, Daka passed down spellcraft and had a vast knowledge on the history of the clan.[5]
Battle of Dathomir[]
- "Choono slalem denni tay'lori olee-ay. Lucheno vadem klavlane. Blenay vedi nalem koreem. Blenay vedi nalem koreem. Villos susko kono lamal! Vlemon tagoo!"
- ―Old Daka reciting the Chant of Ressurection

Old Daka performing ancient magicks
In 20 BBY,[2] in retaliation of Asajj Ventress' betrayal and plots against him, the Confederacy of Independent Systems leader Count Dooku dispatched[3] the Kaleesh warlord[6] General Grievous and the Separatist Droid Army to completely wipe out the Nightsisters so they could prove no further threat. When Separatist forces landed and the battle began, Ventress declared to Talzin that the Nightsisters fighting at the frontier would need reinforcements to survive the onslaught brought on by the droid forces.[3]
Listening to Ventress, Talzin journeyed to the Hidden Cave, a hidden room in the Nightsister lair which could be accessed through the use of magick. Talzin came before Old Daka who agreed to use a spell to unleash the undead Nightsisters to help fight the droids. Daka began to enchant and recite a spell which would raise the undead. When the undead army awoke and crawled out of their burial pods, they aided the living Nightsisters in fighting the droids. However, despite the support from the zombies, the Nightsisters were outmatched by the droid army, which pushed forward.[3]

General Grievous driving one of his lightsabers into Daka's chest, wounding her.
Dooku sent Grievous directly to Talzin in order to kill her before she could complete the spell to take the Count's life. Following the source of the magick, Grievous made his way through the fortress, and had a BX-series droid commando blast through the walls of the Hidden Cave, giving him easy access. Daka was helpless to stop the General, who roughly grabbed her and drove one of his lightsabers into her chest, grievously injuring the eldest of the witches of Dathomir, and flinging her aside. With Daka's spell broken, the undead army fell to ruin, leading to the swift extermination of the rest of the Nightsisters by overwhelming droid forces.[3]
Death and legacy[]
- "Safe. Further. Off-world"
- ―Daka to Falta in her dying breaths
After the battle ended, Falta, a witch of no clan, arrived to search for her daughter Yenna who had joind the Nightsisters long before the battle. As Falta entered the Hidden Cave, she noticed Daka lying in the corner. As she was about to lay the old witch to rest, Daka's eyes opened, having not been dead yet but only unconscious. Before passing away, Daka told her that Yenna had been sent off-world in an escape pod. This began Falta's search for her daughter, which eventually brought her and her pet tooka, Ichor, to the planetoid Sídi where she met the young girl, Bug.[7]
Personality and traits[]
- "Daka, as the oldest and wisest of us, I need you to resurrect our fallen sisters."
- ―Talzin
Daka was the wisest of the Nightsisters.[3] Old Daka's knowledge of the arcane magicks was unprecedented.[1][8][9] Daka was skilled in spiritual guidance and leadership.[4]
Daka stood at 1.83 meters tall, equivalent to 6 feet.[4] Daka had a deep, raspy voice and when reciting spells, she spoke in the Dathomirian language.[3] She had white hair with red streaks in it, silver eyes,[3] and purple tattoos with aged, mottled skin and shrunken eyes.[10][3]
Powers and abilities[]
- "Ventress will need the aid of the undead army to achieve victory."
"Then I will begin the Chant of Ressurection." - ―Talzin and Daka
Daka's mastery of the Nightsister powers was without peer toward the end of her life, as was her knowledge of the clan's abilities. Keeper of the Nightsisters' most dangerous lore, Daka could even perform the Chant of Resurrection, which granted her the ability to raise the dead. Mother Talzin herself could not go about performing the spell, seeking Daka's powers instead.[3] By 20 BBY,[2] Daka was the most powerful and mighty of the Nightsister clan, reflected in her status as the clan Elder.[11] Daka was also able to see into the future.[4]
Equipment[]
When using the Chant of Resurrection[3] in 20 BBY,[2] Daka completed the spell using a Witches' Orb[3] and the Talisman of Resurrection.[12] Daka wore a headress of bones and a decorative garment of various colors.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
Daka first appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars season four episode "Massacre," released on February 24, 2012.[13] She was voiced by actress Kathleen Gati in the episode.[3]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Massacre" (First appearance)
- "Bug"—The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark (Mentioned only)
- The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark audiobook (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
Dathomir in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
Mother Talzin in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
Nightsister zombies in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
Nightsisters in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
Old Daka in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Four
"Massacre" – The Clone Wars Episode Guide on StarWars.com (backup link)
The Nightsisters from Dathomir: A History on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- Ultimate Star Wars
- Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
How The Nightsisters Added A Fun Spookiness To Star Wars on StarWars.com (backup link)
Galaxy of Heroes Casts A Halloween Spell With The Nightsisters on StarWars.com (backup link)
2018 Topps Star Wars Clone Wars 10th Anniversary (Card: Kathleen Gati as Old Daka) (backup link)
Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: Old Daka - Dathomir)
- Collapse of the Republic
Star Wars: Destiny – Spark of Hope (Card: Ancient Magicks) (Picture only)
Star Wars: Destiny – Spark of Hope (Card: Old Daka - Nightsister Necromancer) (Picture only)
Star Wars: Destiny – Spark of Hope (Card: Talisman of Resurrection)
- Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
The Clone Wars Rewatch: "Massacre" of Witches on StarWars.com (backup link)
Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: Old Daka - Topps' Women of Star Wars)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars—Stories Of Light And Dark Authors Reveal Their Chapters on StarWars.com (backup link)
Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: Mother Talzin & Old Daka - Topps' Women of Star Wars - Powerful Pairs)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!
- Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy
Dathomir in the Databank (backup link) (Picture only)
Mother Talzin in the Databank (backup link)
Nightsisters in the Databank (backup link)
Nightsister Zombies in the Databank (backup link)
Old Daka in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Old Daka in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Massacre"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Character Encyclopedia - Join the Battle!
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy
- ↑
General Grievous in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Bug"—The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark
- ↑
Old Daka in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- ↑
Dathomir in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑
Star Wars: Destiny – Spark of Hope (Card: Talisman of Resurrection)
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Episode Guide