- "He was a kind, brilliant, compassionate man. And he did a terrible thing."
- ―Vernestra Rwoh, on Jedi Master Sol
Sol was a respected human male Jedi Master who lived at the end of the High Republic Era. Much of Sol's life was defined by a mission to the planet Brendok he was involved in during 148 BBY, where he—alongside his fellow Jedi Masters Kelnacca, Indara and her Padawan Torbin—hoped to discover if a vergence in the Force had restored life to the world following the Great Hyperspace Disaster nearly a century earlier. While there, the Jedi discovered a coven of witches harboring two girls, the twin sisters Verosha "Osha" and Mae-ho "Mae" Aniseya, whom the Jedi tested to be potential Padawans. After a series of misunderstandings, Sol killed Aniseya, believing the action was necessary to protect the girls, and the ensuing chaos resulted in the deaths of most of the witches in the coven. Sol attempted to save both twins, but chose Osha over Mae, believing Mae to have perished as a result. The four Jedi lied to the Jedi High Council about the incident, claiming that Mae was solely responsible for the destruction, and Sol took Osha as his Padawan without telling her the truth of what had happened. Osha ultimately left the Jedi Order, after which Sol later took on another Padawan, Jecki Lon.
In 132 BBY, Mae resurfaced and began a quest to enact revenge on the four Jedi, starting with the murder of Indara. After Osha became a prime suspect, Sol reunited with his former student, and the two pursued Mae together with Lon and Yord Fandar. Confirming Mae's survival after the murder of Torbin, Sol, Osha and the Jedi travelled to Khofar to intercept Mae, but instead faced "the Stranger," the hidden Sith Lord who was Mae's master. Lon and the other Jedi were killed, but Sol bested the Stranger and escaped the planet, joined by Mae, who disguised herself as her sister.
After Sol discovered Mae's deception, the two made their way back to Brendok to confront the Stranger, where Sol would admit to his crimes in front of both Mae and Osha, though still defended his actions, believing he did what was necessary to defend the twins. Enraged knowing that her master had lied to her for her entire life, Osha choked the life out of Sol, claimed his lightsaber as her own and bled its kyber crystal, joining the Stranger as his new Sith acolyte.
Sol's colleague and friend Vernestra Rwoh discovered Sol's body and laid him to rest with a Jedi funeral pyre. However, she would frame Sol for the Jedi deaths caused by the Stranger and Mae and his own suicide, claiming that he had killed his fellow Jedi in order to maintain their "cover story" about what happened at Brendok, using Sol as a scapegoat to defend the Jedi Order's reputation in the eyes of an increasingly scrutinous Galactic Senate.
Biography[]
Early life[]
At four years old, Sol was brought to the Jedi Temple to become a member of the Jedi Order.[3] Though he was afraid to leave his family, Sol found comfort among the thousands of other gifted younglings at the Temple,[3] though he was also shy.[2]
Jedi studies[]
In 148 BBY,[8] Jedi Knight Sol traveled to Brendok with Master Indara, Master Kelnacca, and Indara's Padawan Torbin to study the planet's life. Brendok had been thought uninhabitable after it was affected by the Great Hyperspace Disaster nearly a century earlier, but was nevertheless lush with plant life, inciting interest from the Jedi Order. One night during their study, Sol expressed his belief that a vergence was possibly responsible for the life on Brendok, and that such a power should be studied and protected, assuring a homesick and doubtful Torbin that their mission was noble.[9]
The next day, as the Jedi continued their study, Indara discussed Torbin with Sol, noting that her apprentice was too distracted to appreciate the possible vergence, but also that they were not certain a vergence was present on Brendok. Sol believed Torbin was disturbed and unbalanced, but Indara warned Sol not to confuse Torbin's feelings with his own. Indara assured Sol that that was the reason she had a Padawan and he did not.[9]
Witches of Brendok[]
Indara instructed Sol to continue exploring, taking a speeder bike to follow a river to the planet's unexplored Northlands. There, he discovered a bunta tree surrounded by Brendoki flutterbies, as well as a discovery far more shocking - two human girls, the twins Mae-ho Aniseya and Verosha Aniseya. Sol lurked in the trees, following the girls as they bickered and watching as they were corralled away by their mother Koril. Now knowing they were not alone on Brendok, Sol contacted Indara via his comm unit.[9]
Sol continued to follow the woman and the girls all the way to their fortress, to which Sol could not access through the main door. Scaling the fortress's outer wall, Sol snuck into the catacombs to witness part of a lesson by Mother Aniseya. Sol watched in great concern as the woman attacked the two girls with the Force, sending them falling back, and doing so again, instructing the girls to block. Sol also witnessed the witches prepare for the Ascension ceremony.[9]
Sol reported back to Indara, believing he had discovered a Force cult of witches. Though Indara remained skeptical, wanting to ask the Jedi High Council for guidance, Sol pushed to take action, as he feared for the safety of the girls. He believed that the girls might have been in danger from the ceremony taking place that night and insisted that Indara come see what he had seen. The four Jedi made their way to the fortress, sliced the door, and entered as a team at the insistence of Sol.[9]
Interrupting the women's Ascension ceremony, the four entered the fortress's courtyard. After Indara and Aniseya greeted each other with thinly veiled animosity, Osha finally emerged from the crowd at Indara's insistence. Sol knelt down and introduced himself to Osha, but recoiled when her sister Mae revealed herself; the other girl had been branded with a marking on her forehead that had not been there that morning. Revealing that he had been spying on them, the witches became hostile, with Koril threatening Sol, though Sol asserted that the Jedi did not take children. Sol unclasped his lightsaber from his belt, and though Indara believed Sol was preparing for violence, he instead gently gave the weapon to Osha to examine. Sol asked Osha if she would like to be tested as a potential Jedi Padawan, believing that she would make a good one. At that moment, however, Torbin fell to his knees, fallen into a trance induced by Aniseya. Aniseya demanded that they leave for Torbin to be returned to his right mind. Osha insisted, however, that she be allowed to take the Jedi's test. Aniseya released Torbin and told the Jedi that scouts would bring Osha to the Jedi camp at midday, but Sol insisted that they bring Mae as well. The Jedi left as Indara thanked them for their cooperation.[3][9]
Back at the Jedi ship, Indara commended Sol on his idea of testing the girls, as she believed he did so to buy time to commune with the Council. Sol's offer was genuine, however, as he felt a connection to Osha and felt she was meant to be his Padawan. Indara asserted that they could not take the test seriously and that the coven would not let the girl leave. Sol insisted that Osha could be in danger and may have resisted being marked like her sister, believing that she wanted to leave with the Jedi, but Indara remained skeptical and warned her colleague not to confuse Osha's wishes for his own, similarly to Sol's thoughts about Torbin.[9]
As agreed, the witches brought Osha and Mae to the Jedi's camp the next day. Mae was to be tested first, but resisted, intentionally failing to accurately divine the images that appeared on Sol's testing screen. Indara asked Mae many questions, particularly about her marking and Ascension; Mae revealed that she was meant to one day lead the coven, but was unsure how she and her sister could do so as children. After Mae was dismissed, Sol determined that she had been instructed to fail, and Indara gave him approval to try another technique with Osha.[9] Osha also identified the images incorrectly, but gave away that she could see them clearly. Sol asked Osha what she wanted, not her family, and he revealed that he was even younger than her when the Jedi tested him. Sol emphasized that the Jedi believed he was special, just like Osha, and that while he was scared to leave his family, he found comfort in the many other children also at the Temple. He pushed for Osha to have the courage to say what she wanted and tell the truth, and Osha expressed her desire to be a Jedi.[3] The Jedi continued the test, which Osha passed.[9]
A terrible mistake[]
Later that night, Indara told the team that the Jedi Council would not sanction separating the the twins from their coven or bringing them to Coruscant to be trained as Jedi. Sol implored that Indara could too feel that they weren't safe and insisted that he talk to the Council, but Indara held that they had already made their decision. Indara warned Sol not to alter Osha's destiny due to his emotional attachment to her, but Sol denied that was the case and only wanted to do what was best for the girl. When Torbin announced the twins' blood test results, they revealed that the girls' M-count was very high, but that they also shared the exact same symbionts. Sol interpreted this to mean the twins were possibly created artificially, with a vergence used as a power source. At this revelation, Torbin took off, hoping to the use the girls as proof of a vergence to end the mission and return to Coruscant.[9]
Sol followed Torbin in the other speeder while Indara and Kelnacca followed them both with their ship. Sol and Torbin found the fortress locked down, deciding to climb the fortress walls and get the girls, with Sol warning Torbin not to let the witches inside his head again. The two Jedi entered the fortress's courtyard, confronting Aniseya, Koril, and a cadre of witches armed with bows. Sol assured that the Jedi came with noble intentions and asked how the twins were created; Aniseya, however, told Sol that one day the Jedi's noble intentions would destroy every last one in the galaxy. In that moment, Mae ran into the courtyard, pleading her mother for help. Confusing the girl for her sister Osha, Sol called out to her. Finished with the Jedi, Koril readied her stance to attack Torbin, and Aniseya moved to protect her daughter, enshrouding both herself and Mae in black smoke. Fearing for the girl's safety, Sol drew his lightsaber, stabbing Aniseya in the midsection before she could complete her transformation. Fatally wounded, Aniseya clutched Sol's shoulder, letting him know she was going to let Osha go with them, assuring that it was what Osha wanted.[9]
As Aniseya fell dead, the other witches attacked Torbin and Koril wielded her staff against Sol. Unmotivated to fight, Sol was hit by several blows and blocked or deflected others. Eventually, he bisected Koril's staff with his lightsaber and told Torbin that they needed to get the girls as a fire started to consume the fortress. Koril vanished into black smoke and warned the two Jedi that they should not have brought "him" there; though Torbin warned that his mind was fortified, Koril did not mean him, and the two turned to face Kelnacca, now under the witch's spell. Both Sol and Torbin defended themselves, barely resisting Kelnacca's heavy attacks. When Kelnacca pinned Torbin against a wall, Sol grappled with the Wookiee to save the Padawan. Sol managed to land a strike that disarmed Kelnacca but succumbed to his strength, getting caught in a chokehold before Indara arrived to break Kelnacca free of the spell. The backlash of mind-thrall spell being suppressed killed the witches who were making the Wookiee try to kill his team. Indara commanded Sol to find the twins.[9]
Sol found the girls in a cavern housing a massive power generator; as the generator exploded, it destroyed part of a bridge holding the two girls above a deep chasm. As the bridge's halves began to buckle, Sol used the Force to hold them upright, but could not hold them both for long. Ultimately, Sol decided to concentrate his power two save Osha, allowing Mae to fall. Sol grabbed Osha before she could fall, bringing her back to the Jedi ship.[3][9]
As the Jedi team departed for Coruscant, Sol watched over Osha as she rested. Indara reminded Sol and Torbin that she told them not to interfere, though Sol expressed his lone wish to keep the girls safe. He asserted that he had to make a choice, and the two masters grappled, stopping Torbin's distress, who asked what they were to tell the Council. Indara decided to settle on a partial truth for their story: that Mae started a fire and everyone but Osha was lost. Sol wished to face the Council with the truth, but Indara denied him, as doing so would take away Osha's dream of becoming a Jedi. Indara told Sol to ask himself why he made the choice that he did. As Osha reawakened in a fright, calling for her mother, Sol comforted her, giving Osha the incomplete story with Mae as the one responsible for her family's death.[9] He assured her there was nothing back on Brendok, but that they would be safe on Coruscant and that Mae could train as his Padawan if she wished. Sol promised the girl that she would never feel such pain again.[3]
After Brendok[]
For ten years, Osha trained as a Jedi under Sol's tutelage as a devoted Padawan.[2][10] However, Osha could not learn to master her negative emotions, her grief over her mother and her hatred for her sister[7]; eventually, Osha would leave Sol and the Jedi Order altogether. Sol would think about Osha often, and held his biggest regret as being unable to help Mae, though he would always believed in the decisions he made on Brendok[7] and made peace with what happened.[11]
After Osha, Sol trained Jecki Lon as his Padawan[6] and taught other younglings in the Jedi Temple as[2] a respected Jedi Master.[4]
Something to tip the scales[]
The false suspect[]
In 132 BBY,[12] Master Sol was informed of the murder of Master Indara, and was saddened to hear that she came to such a violent end.[2] Some time afterwards, Sol held a lesson with many Jedi younglings, asking them to close their eyes and feel the Force. The younglings described feeling life and balance, though one youngling saw a fire that consumed everything it touched. Sol taught that the Force was powerful, like fire or an ocean, and that its power must be respected. Master Vernestra Rwoh, Sol's colleague and friend, entered at the end of the lesson. She told Sol that his students were lucky to have such a compassionate teacher, and reminisced when Sol was small, though Sol felt lucky to be taught by the younglings. Rwoh had come to discuss Indara's murder, as his former Padawan, Osha, was in custody as the prime suspect. Sol was baffled, not believing that Osha was anything but a devoted Padawan who saw the Jedi as her protectors. Sol agreed with Rwoh that the investigation should not become public, as news of a murder by a former Jedi could be used by the Jedi's political opponents, and assured her of his support, though he was disturbed.[2]
Later, Sol's Padawan, Jecki Lon would meet with her master, and she saw him looking at a hologram of Osha in her Jedi robes. She informed her master that Rwoh asked for Sol's presence at the detainment level, and after asking to speak freely, asked why Sol kept holograms of his former Padawan, warning that such a pastime encouraged sentimentality and nostalgia. Sol told Lon that memories were lessons, and that the past should be meditated on so as not to repeat it.[2]
Sol met Rwoh at the detainment level, which was holding a large group of prisoners who had mutinied and escaped their transport over Carlac. Osha, who had been on the ship, was not among the survivors. Sol approached a lone man in a cell who was muttering about Osha's "darkness"; he cleared the man's mind and asked what had happened. The man explained that Osha had helped him escape, but he betrayed her and took the transport's last escape pod. Sol requested permission to go to Carlac and bring Osha in himself, asserting that he could feel that she was alive. Though Rwoh did not want to lose Sol to a field mission, Sol wanted to take accountability as her former master if Osha truly was guilty. Rwoh afforded him a small team for a discreet mission.[2]
Mission to Carlac[]
Sol included his Padawan, Jecki Lon and Jedi Knight Yord Fandar, who was originally responsible for bringing Osha in, in his team. As they boarded their ship, the Polan-717 Jedi transport designated Polan GX-8, they greeted Fandar, who was steaming his robes. Fandar bowed, hoping for forgiveness and redemption on their mission; Sol reassured him with a friendly pat.[2]
While in transit to Carlac, Lon asked Sol how well he knew his former Padawan. Sol gave Lon the incomplete story of the incident on Brendok, revealing that Osha had a twin sister. This surprised Lon and Fandar, as such information was not in her file, but Sol stated that Mae was surely dead, as he had watched her die. As Lon and Fandar prepared for landing, Sol contemplated silently.[2]
The Jedi investigated the remains of the prison transport, doubtful of any survivors despite evidence of someone having been there. Quickly sensing Osha's presence, Sol directed his team to follow him into a cave. At the end of the cave they found Osha, who pleaded with Sol that she didn't commit the crime. Osha slipped from an icy ledge, but Sol caught her with the Force. Reunited with his old Padawan, Sol smiled warmly, believing Osha's assertion that Mae was alive. Sol ordered Fandar and Lon to stand down, escorting Osha peacefully without restraints.[2]
The plot thickens[]
Back aboard the Polan, Fandar protested to Sol over not restraining Osha. Sol held that she did not kill Indara, as she had not trained in six years. Though Fandar suggested that Osha and her twin could be working together, Sol told Fandar not to let fear affect his judgement. In the ship's cockpit, Sol met with Master Rwoh over hologram, informing her of Osha's sister Mae. Rwoh agreed, as another incident had just occurred while Osha was in their custody: somebody matching Osha's description had broken into the Jedi temple on Olega. Rwoh ordered Sol to continue investigating and to bring Osha, as she could be an asset.[11]
En route to Carlac, Sol noticed Osha's tattoo on her arm, two black mirrored parallelograms. She explained that she got the tattoo during a "crazy night" with her meknek crew in CorpSec, and believed that Sol hated it. Sol laughed, saying that it didn't matter what he liked. The Jedi Master asked if Osha was certain that her sister Mae was behind Indara's murder; Osha was certain that it was the only explanation, and that she had to have survived somehow. Sol wished to had been able to save them both, but Osha assured him that what happened that night wasn't his fault. Sol expressed that he made peace with what happened on Brendok, and Osha lamented that she never had accepted what she'd lost. Osha stated that perhaps she wasn't a very good student, but Sol offered that perhaps he wasn't a very good teacher.[11]
Landing on Olega, Sol and his team met with the Jedi of Olega's temple. The Jedi walked them through the last night's events, identifying Osha as the one who snuck into the temple. Sol asked to speak to Torbin, and though Torbin hadn't spoken to anybody in over ten years, Sol was certain he would speak with him, as he was an old friend. Sol's team entered the temple to find Torbin dead with Osha standing over him. Yord, who had been watching Osha, absolved her, and Sol examined Torbin's body. There were no signs of struggle, and Torbin had taken poison willingly. Osha explained that the poison was bunta from her home planet and needed to have come from nearby.
The Jedi watched over an apothecary, the only one in town, to try and locate the poison's source. Sol agreed to follow Lon's plan: to allow Osha to disguise herself as her sister and talk to the apothecary's supposed owner, Qimir, recording the conversation. The Jedi listened as Osha entered the shop, where the owner asked Osha if the poison worked, but Sol stopped the Jedi from acting just yet. The shop's owner expressed his delight at believing "Mae" killed Torbin without the poison, knowing that "he" would be so pleased. The Jedi swarmed the apothecary, and Sol told Qimir that they would consider letting him go with a warning if he cooperated. Qimir introduced himself simply as a supplier, and Sol asked if Mae had a master. Qimir claimed that all he knew was that Mae wanted revenge on four Jedi. Sol told Fandar to secure the perimeter; the team would wait for Mae, laying a trap for her when she returned to the apothecary that night.[11]
After nightfall, Sol and Osha waited for Mae in an alley. Osha was adamant that she would confront Mae, though Sol wanted to face her alone. Sol was surprised Osha was still so angry, telling her to let go of her grief, certain that she wanted revenge instead of justice. Sol told Osha to let him try to save Mae now, as he couldn't when they were children. Sol told Osha to have faith in Mae and himself, despite the fact that he was one of the Jedi Mae was targeting.[11]
When Mae finally arrived, Sol confronted her. Mae attacked Sol with an acrobatic kick, which Sol easily blocked. The two continued to scuffle, with Sol calmly deflecting each of Mae's furious blows. When Sol asked Mae why she attacked him without a weapon, she continued her assault, trying and failing to snatch Sol's lightsaber. Sol disarmed Mae of all of her knives, telling Mae that she misunderstood the Jedi arts and asking who trained her. Eventually restraining her with the Force, Sol probed Mae's mind, discovering that even Mae knew not who her master was. Sensing that Mae's thoughts still dwelt on her sister, Sol revealed that Mae was alive. Disbelieving, Mae tried to escape, but was cornered by Fandar and Lon in the Polan. Though Sol outstretched his hand in a peaceful gesture, Mae used the Force to blow dust all around her and vanished. Failing to secure Mae, Sol contacted Master Rwoh aboard the Polan. Sol wished to continue the investigation, but Rwoh refused, wanting to strategize now that a trained outsider was in the picture, expecting to see Sol soon on Coruscant.[11]
The master revealed[]
Back on Coruscant, Sol joined a small conference of Jedi Masters analyzing Mae and speculating on who her master could be. Rwoh emphasized Mae's dangerousness and her connection to Sol's past, confident that a Jedi was responsible for Mae's training. Rwoh denied informing the High Council, determined to discover who trained her without public scrutiny. After Rwoh instructedmaster Holden to intercept Mae on Khofar, Sol met with Rwoh outside, pleading to be the one to bring her in. Rwoh demanded why he did not tell her that Mae could have survived on Brendok, to which Sol answered that he did believe it was possible, as he witnessed her fall to her certain demise himself. Once again, now to the ears of other Jedi, Sol pleaded with her to be the one to bring Mae into custody. Rwoh denied due to his personal connection to both Mae and her sister. Sol implored her that Mae's objectives were not only hers and hers alone; Rwoh agreed, musing that it was all part of her master's overarching plan to tip the scales. Sol warned Rwoh that if Holden killed Mae, then the knowledge of her mysterious Master would perish with her, believing that Mae would not surrender herself without getting something in return. Rwoh asked if they had something that she wanted, to which Sol replied with a nod.[13]
Later, Sol found Osha preparing to leave the Jedi Temple. Sol asked Osha to join the Jedi unofficially on the mission as an asset to get to Mae. Though Osha said she couldn't, Sol was determined that Mae softened at the thought of Osha, and that the Jedi would allow them both to go only if Osha came as well. Sol asserted that they both did not want Mae to get hurt, and that there was still good in her. Osha finally agreed to join the mission, donning a civilian robe despite her protests.[13]
As Sol's team, now expanded to contain several more Jedi Knights, landed on Khofar, they trekked into Khofar's dangerous wilderness, using the Tynnan Bazil as their tracker. The team came down a mountain and into Khofar's forest, stumbling upon a dormant umbramoth colony. When Osha touched and sensed one of the slumbering creatures, it awakened, swooping down to attack the Jedi. Sol drew his lightsaber and smoothly killed the creature with one swing, commanding the Jedi to keep moving before night fell.[13]
Losing Bazil, the team continued into the forest. Osha assured Sol that she could sense things again that made her confident enough to face her sister; Sol, however, stated that they would both face their past. He promised to explain everything once Mae was safely in custody. At sundown, the Jedi came upon Kelnacca's shelter. The Jedi demanded that Mae emerge from the domicile. However, a dark presence arrived, being sensed by Sol. A masked Stranger descended into the forest behind Osha, drawing the Jedi's attention, not standing down when commanded. The Stranger drew a red-bladed lightsaber at Mae, inciting the Jedi to ignite their own sabers. Though Sol yelled at Osha to run, the Stranger tossed her aside with the Force. The Jedi advanced with Sol leading the charge, which the Stranger answered with a powerful Force push that sent the Jedi flying backwards into the forest.[13]
The Stranger killed many of the Jedi on Sol's team, skillfully wielding his lightsaber and disabling the Jedi's lightsabers with his helmet. When Osha came to, she ran into the forest, where the Stranger eventually came upon her. As the Stranger his lightsaber towards her, Osha fled, and Sol arrived to deflect the saber before it could strike Osha. As Sol, Osha and Fandar stared down the Stranger, Sol commanded Fandar to take the "civilian" to their ship, sending Osha away with a Force push. The Stranger identified Sol, who asked the Stranger who he was, sensing something familiar. The two dueled, clashing among trees felled by the Stranger's blade. Sol asserted that though the Stranger carried a Jedi weapon, he was no Jedi. Sol demanded that the Stranger show his face, wondering what kind of master would hide his face from his pupil, though the Stranger invoked something that Sol had to hide from his pupil as well and stated his mask was a needed form of mental protection. After a brief continuation of the duel, the Stranger disappeared.[14]
The Stranger would pursue Mae through the forest, who escaped being restrained by Lon. Sol and Lon would attack the Stranger, preventing him from killing Mae. After the Stranger disabled Sol's lightsaber with his helmet, Sol sent him backwards with a blow, giving Lon an opening to attack. Lon broke apart the Stranger's helmet with elbow strikes, though when she charged for another attack, she was stabbed three times in the chest with the Stranger's secondary lightsaber. Sol reached out for his Padawan, sadly calling her name, lamenting that she was only a child. The Stranger, now revealed as the same man who went by "Qimir" on Olega, blamed Sol for bringing her there. The Stranger blinded Sol with his cloak pulled Mae towards him with the Force, to which Sol answered with a lightsaber attack, which the Stranger readily deflected. As the Stranger put his saber to Mae's head, Sol tossed his own saber to the side. Sol asked the Stranger again who he was; the man claimed to have no name, but that the Jedi might call him a Sith. The Stranger claimed to want the freedom to wield his power the way he liked without having to answer to the Jedi. He wished for an acolyte, but now that Mae had him exposed, he was determined to kill every single last Jedi who had seen his face, claiming the Jedi made the rules.[14]
Suddenly, Fandar reappeared, summoning the Stranger's helmet and ambushing the Sith. Though both of their lightsabers became disabled, the Stranger overpowered Fandar and broke his neck. Mae attempted to run, but Osha stunned her. Sol charged the Stranger, exchanging blows with his enemy but soon overwhelming him with strikes. Besting his opponent, Sol sent the Stranger flying with a kick, then readied his saber for a decapitation strike. Before he could kill the Sith, however, Osha stopped him with a shout. Restrained, the Stranger wondered why Osha still trusted Sol after everything he had done to her. Sol asserted that the Stranger's mind was twisted by darkness, but the Sith claimed to have accepted his darkness, asking what Sol had done with his own. Sol withdrew his weapon, holding that the Jedi did not attack the unarmed. Before the Stranger could attack Sol again, Osha detached the head of her PIP droid, sticking it to the Stranger's back to attract the umbramoths, who carried him out of sight. Now safe, Osha asked Sol why the Stranger would say she couldn't trust him. Sol once again promised to explain himself, but Mae reappeared, summoning Osha's stun gun and stupefying Sol with a stun blast.[14]
Coming to after sunrise, Sol was greeted by "Osha", who in reality was Mae wearing her sister's civilian robe. "Osha" told Sol that her sister was gone and Sol sadly surveyed Lon and Fandar's bodies before leaving. The two boarded the Polan with Bazil and departed the planet.[14]
Atonement on Brendok[]
As the Polan ascended through Khofar's atmosphere, Sol attempted to contact the Jedi Temple. He reached Padawan Mog Adana, and though the connection was spotty, Sol managed to get through that his entire team was dead. Unable to secure a strong connection, Sol went to reset the transceiver, telling "Osha" to take the ship's controls. As Sol retreated into the ship's foyer, he took a moment to himself to mourn his fallen comrades and Padawan, looking around as if they were still present. Moving back to the cockpit, Sol hugged "Osha", thanking her for saving him and lamenting that the Stranger had corrupted Mae. Sol apologized said that it was time to make things right and face the High Council concerning everything that had happened on Brendok. Just as Adana came back through on the transceiver, the ship shut down. Sol sent "Osha" to investigate the problem.[10]
Osha returned to the ships darkened foyer and informed Sol that the system was resetting. Quietly reflecting, Sol wondered how he couldn't have sensed the Stranger's true intentions when he met him as "Qimir" on Olega. Sol also noticed that "Osha" had recovered the PIP droid, noting how she had always loved the droid although he was just a machine. "Osha" told Sol that even if she didn't know it at the time, she had to lose a lot of herself to become a Jedi, and told Sol that he could tell her everything that happened on Brendok now that she wasn't young anymore. When the ship's systems turned back on, "Osha" rushed to the cockpit to communicate with the Jedi, but Sol stunned her. He shut down the ship's responder despite the imminent arrival of the Jedi and jumped to hyperspace.[10]
Sol restrained Mae to a bed, assuring her he would not harm her when she awoke. Sol told Mae that they had much to do, including finding Mae's master and saving Osha, but that first they were going to talk; Sol had sixteen years to think about what he would say to her if he could, and implored Mae to listen, telling her the full story of what happened on Brendok.[10]
When the Polan emerged from hyperspace, Sol informed Mae that they were at Brendok and that the Jedi would meet them there. Sol hoped that he could finally prove the existence of Brendok's vergence now that Mae and Osha were both alive. Mae demanded why Sol lied to Osha and blamed the coven's destruction on herself. Both Mae and Sol defended their own actions, and Sol expressed that his biggest regret was that he couldn't save both girls. Sol believed that Mae and Osha weren't twins or even sisters, but before he could finish, Mae stunned him and ran to the Polan's secondary escape ship, telling Sol she would see him in hell. Sol pursued Mae into Brendok's planetary ring, where he nearly intercepted her, but Bazil dismantled wiring in the ship's hull, causing the Polan to ram the escape ship and send it crashing to the surface.[7]
Landing safely on Brendok, Sol made his way into the witches' derelict fortress, hearing echoes of the past. Wandering the complex's dark catacombs, he eventually came upon the Stranger. The Sith thanked Sol for leading him back to Mae and chided that they made a great team, igniting his lightsaber to attack the Jedi. The two dueled fiercely, fighting their way outside to a bridge, carving the metal barriers with stray saber swings. The two floated down from the bridge and Sol voiced his determination to destroy the Stranger if he must. The Stranger, splitting his saber into two, jabbed that Sol would not if "she" got to him first. The two continued to battle, with Sol besting his opponent repeatedly, using his mastery of lightsaber combat to outmaneuver the Sith, disabling him with kicks and calling on the Force to send his dual lightsabers flying away. As the the Stranger reassembled his lightsaber and continued their duel, the two noticed a Jedi ship descending from afar. Sol was determined the Stranger would now pay for everything he'd done, but the Sith was certain that the Jedi weren't coming for him. The two continued their duel once more, locking and clashing sabers ferociously, but with a final swing, Sol cut through the hilt of the Stranger's lightsaber, ending the fight. The Stranger accepted defeat, removing his helmet to stare down Sol's blue blade.[7]
At that moment, Mae ambushed Sol, disarming him and claiming his lightsaber. The Stranger goaded her on, telling her to feel her anger, the source of her pain, and to strike Sol down to complete her journey. Mae refused, however, determined to see Sol face justice and admit his crimes to the Jedi Council, the Senate and the Republic. Sol tried to defend his actions, deliberating on Mae and her sister's origins and that the two needed to be protected. Sol explained his belief that Mother Aniseya held great power and used the Force and the vergence to create the twins, a power very few had held in the history of the galaxy. At Mae's insistence, Sol ultimately admitted to killing Aniseya, which Osha, who had just arrived, witnessed, asking if it was true. Sol maintained that it was the right thing to do, explaining that he didn't tell the Jedi as there was no way to prove the vergence without Mae and didn't tell Osha as the Jedi wouldn't allow her to be trained. Sol pleaded that he wanted to tell Osha so many times, but couldn't. Osha told him to stop talking, brandishing his discarded saber. Sol continued speaking, claiming to have done everything so that Osha could have the life she dreamed of. Before Sol could finish his next sentence, Osha held Sol in a Force choke, slowly choking the life from him. In his dying moments, Sol told Osha that it was okay, accepting his fate and falling dead at the feet of his old Padawan.[7]
Legacy[]
Immediately after Sol's death at the hands of Osha, Osha would fall to her knees in horror, inadvertently bleeding Sol's lightsaber crystal and turning the blade red. Master Rwoh, along with a team of Jedi Knights, would soon discover Sol's body in the fortress's courtyard. Though the Jedi would not find the Stranger or the twins, Rwoh would apologize to her friend and gave Sol a Jedi funeral, burning his body on a pyre in one of Brendok's lakes. Osha would return to the world inhabited by the Stranger to train as his new Sith acolyte, now fully disillusioned with the Jedi way.[7]
Rwoh would return to Coruscant and represent the Jedi Council at a Senate tribunal. While there, Rwoh would frame Sol for the murders of Indara, Torbin, Lon, Fandar, and all the others committed by Mae and her Sith master. In doing so, the truth (as far as it was known) of the Brendok incident was kept under wraps, though Sol's legacy was forever tarnished. Later, Rwoh would meet with Mae, whose memories of her sister and her tutelage under the Stranger had been wiped. Rwoh explained that many of the events in Mae's life occurred due to the selfish actions Sol tried to justify with the love he had for her sister Osha. The Jedi Master asked for Mae's help in locating the Stranger, who was a pupil of Rwoh's before he turned to evil.[7]
Personality and traits[]
- "I've accepted my darkness. What have you done with yours"
- ―"The Stranger" to Sol
Sol was a human male, his hair was worn normally down to the base of his neck, with a single lock held together with a thread, he wore the typical colors of the Jedi of the High Republic and during missions he wore the typical brown Jedi robe, during the mission on Brendok, his hair was shorter and more shaggy.
Sol was a kind, brilliant and compassionate man, as well as a good teacher, he believed in people, so much so that he immediately distrusted the idea that Osha had killed Indara and tried in every way to arrest Mae peacefully. However, Sol also had a dark side, he was impulsive, hasty and reckless. Although he was moved by the best intentions, his methods, at least during the mission on Brendok, were almost questionable, when he discovered that mother Aniseya had used a vergence to create the girls, he decided to take them against the will of the coven and against the will of the Jedi Council itself, after saving Osha, Sol showed minimal remorse, claiming he had to make a choice, when he discovered that Mae was alive he did everything to be sent with Osha to search for her, and risked his life trying to capture Mae. Sol did not accept what he had done on Brendok trying to justify it as an "accident" and blaming Mae for causing the fire.
Powers and abilities[]
- "The Force is powerful… like fire or the ocean. It is a power we must respect."
- ―Master Sol
An experienced Jedi Master, Sol was able to use the Force in a range of ways, such as when he mind-touched away a convict's fear to be able to communicate with him. The Jedi could also use telekinesis in a variety of different ways. Such as to open doors, save Osha by Force-pulling her from a fall,[2] and catch Mae in a Force hold when trying to capture her. Moreover, he was able to extract from her mind the little information she knew about her teacher. After doing this, Sol also sensed her feelings for her sister and tried to use them to convince her to surrender. He also was a skilled warrior and able to protect himself against Mae's barrage of blows without needing to go for his own weapon and successfully disarming her of her knives.[11]
He was able to sense Kelnacca's vague location on Kohfar and was able to smoothly dispatch an umbramoth with his saber. However, when the Master attacked him with a Force push, he was flung back with the rest of the Jedi in his squad.[13] Sol fought the Sith wearing a mask, who admitted the piece of armor was all that was keeping Sol from reading his mind. The Jedi was coming out worse in their duel, until, furious after the butchering of his Padawan and with both sides unable to turn on their sabers, Sol charged the Sith and briefly subdued him in unarmed combat.[14]
During the mission that led to finding Osha, he felt he sensed that he was in somehow destined to take Osha as a Padawan. During the third time he came to the witch compound, he demonstrated the power to see things from afar after a few moments of focus. When he thought he was under attack from Aniseya as she invoked her powers, he swiftly drew his blade and cut her down, then when Koril assailed him, he endured her punches and caught her spear, before breaking it with his saber. Despite his skills with a blade and using the Force to leap around, and even disarming his attacker, he was unable to defend himself when a Wookiee Jedi was taken over by the coven and impelled to attack him, only being saved when Master Indara broke the spell. Sol found the twins on a collapsing bridge and used his will to try to keep them from falling, but though he franticly strained himself in keeping them aloft, he was not powerful enough to save both, so chose Osha.[9]
Sol was stealthy, able to follow three witches, infiltrate a dark side cult's stronghold, observe them using the Force on younglings, see them conducting a ritual, and escape without being spotted and barely being sensed by Koril. The Jedi also was a strong climber scaling the walls of the Brendon fortress and returning to his friends, then quickly clambering up again when he returned following Torbin.[9]
Just before his final battle on Brendok, he sensed Mae was somewhere in the witches' old lair. When he traversed the old battlefield, the Jedi Master heard the echos of the destruction of the witches. Upon being ambushed by the Master, Sol clashed blades with the Sith and landed several unarmed hits, while using the Force to leap off a bridge and around his enemy. When Quimir lost a lightsaber, Sol attacked him so quickly that the Sith's effort to use the Force to reclaim the hilt failed. During the battle he used a Force-charged kick that sent the Sith falling back. At one point, he used his lightsaber to deflect the Sith's thrown lightsabers and as the Sith used the Force to pull the weapons back, Sol knocked them away from him and blasted the darksider down. Finally, after a grapple, he was able to destroy the Stranger's weapon with his own saber and capture him, but just as victory crystalized, Mae stole his weapon and harassed him into confessing he had slain her mother. Sol broke down as he explained his justification and offered no resistance as Osha compressed his neck.[7]
Sol was a capable pilot, flying a Polan-717 Jedi transport on various missions[2][13][7] and was able to operate a speeder bike.[9]
Equipment[]
As with many other Jedi Masters during the High Republic Era, Sol wore opulent white robes with a golden trim and a yellow tunic while in the temple. He also wore a brown cloak and a belt with the insignia of the Jedi Order along with brown gauntlets while on missions.[15]
Sol wielded a single blue-bladed lightsaber.[13]
Behind the scenes[]
Sol was created for the 2024 Disney+ live-action series The Acolyte. The character was portrayed by Lee Jung-jae.[16] According to Leslye Headland, She wrote Sol due to Lee Jung-jae's character Seong Gi-Hun of Squid game. And remarks, "that's Sol" and ran the gamut of every single emotion.
Appearances[]
- The Acolyte — "Choice"
- The Acolyte — "Destiny"
- The Acolyte: The Crystal Crown
- The Acolyte — "Lost / Found" (First appearance, simultaneous with "Revenge / Justice")
- The Acolyte — "Revenge / Justice"
- The Acolyte — "Day"
- The Acolyte — "Night"
- The Acolyte — "Teach / Corrupt"
- The Acolyte — "The Acolyte"
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ "Lost/Found" Episode Guide | The Acolyte on StarWars.com (backup link) states that the events of The Acolyte take place 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 32 BBY. Therefore, The Acolyte takes place in 132 BBY. Since Sol's death on Brendok is depicted in "The Acolyte," which is part of The Acolyte series, his death must have occurred in 132 BBY.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 The Acolyte — "Lost / Found"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 The Acolyte — "Destiny"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Sol in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ How The Acolyte Challenges How We See Some Members of the Jedi on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jecki Lon in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 The Acolyte — "The Acolyte"
- ↑ The events of "Destiny" take place sixteen years before the present day events of The Acolyte, which occur in 132 BBY per the reasoning here.
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 The Acolyte — "Choice"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Osha joined the Jedi Order at eight years old, was twenty-four during the investigation of her sister's murders, and left the Order six years before the investigation. As such, she was approximately eighteen when she left the Order, having trained for approximately ten years.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 The Acolyte — "Revenge / Justice"
- ↑ "Lost/Found" Episode Guide | The Acolyte on StarWars.com (backup link) states that the events of The Acolyte take place 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 32 BBY. Therefore, The Acolyte takes place in 132 BBY.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 The Acolyte — "Day"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 The Acolyte — "Night"
- ↑ Dressing The Acolyte: The Stranger and an Assassin Hunt the Jedi of the High Republic — Updated on StarWars.com (backup link)