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- "There's…too many of them!"
- ―Gureni Telsij
Gureni Telsij was a male human who served as a Lieutenant[4] in the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. At the Battle of Endor, he flew a BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bomber[3] in Gray Squadron.[4] Moments after stating that there were too many enemy ships, his Y-wing was struck by enemy fire, killing him.[2]
Biography[edit | edit source]
Gureni Telsij
In 4 ABY,[1] Lieutenant Gureni Telsij flew with Gray Squadron during the Battle of Endor,[4] in an large-scale Rebel Alliance assault on the Galactic Empire's second Death Star, still under construction, alongside the Alliance Fleet and many other starfighter squadrons such as Gold, Red and Green Squadron. During the space battle, Telsij flew a BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bomber[3] alongside a mix of other starfighters in his squadron, such as A-wings and B-wings.[5] The battle was a key victory for the Rebel Alliance, which resulted in the destruction of the battle station and the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. The Alliance sustained many losses of its own, including the death of Telsij himself and fellow squadron Y-wing pilot Ekelarc Yong (Gray Three).[3]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
A behind-the-scenes photo of the actor who played Gureni Telsij, believed to be Eiji Kusuhara
According to stage director Hilary Westlake, the actor who portrayed Telsij is likely to have been Eiji Kusuhara. Westlake was a close friend of Kusuhara's, and wrote the latter's obituary for The Guardian. After viewing footage of Telsij's scene from Return of the Jedi, Westlake told NPR that, "Albeit brief, I would say it is most certainly Eiji."[6]
The StarWars.com Databank incorrectly identified a photo of Ekelarc Yong, another Y-wing pilot seen in Return of the Jedi, as Telsij. Yong and Telsij wear different helmets, and are played by different actors.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi junior novelization
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know (First identified as Telsij)
- Star Wars: I Am a Pilot (Picture only)
Star Wars Helmet Collection 26 (Helmets: Y-wing Pilot) (Picture only)- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- Rebel Starfighters Owners' Workshop Manual (First identified as Gureni)
- Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition – Phoenix Cell Squadron Pack (Card: Weapons Systems Officer) (Picture only)
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi junior novelization
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Rebel Starfighters Owners' Workshop Manual
- ↑ Star Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z
- ↑ Haruch, Steve (2014-12-14). Diversity In Space: Tracking The First Asian Pilot In The Star Wars Movies. NPR.org. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved on July 23, 2020.
