- "I will tolerate the Jedi presence in our ancestral home, if they surrender their weapons."
- ―Ursa Wren
The Wren Stronghold was the home of the renowned Mandalorian Wren clan, located on the frigid world of Krownest. A stunning complex built using steel and glass, the large but minimalist stronghold was seen as a testament to the honor, adaptability, and design capabilities of the Mandalorian people. Constructed at the edge of a frozen lake, surrounded by trees and mountains, the stronghold blended into the surrounding snowy landscape. The ancestral home of Clan Wren, by the time of the Galactic Empire's reign, the stronghold was the seat of power for the clan's leader, Ursa Wren, protected by numerous warriors and starfighters.
Description[]
The Wren Stronghold was a large mansion[2] built on the planet Krownest, a frigid world of ice and snow[3] located within the borders of Mandalorian space[4] in the galaxy's Outer Rim.[5] Constructed from steel and glass to a minimalist aesthetic,[6] the stunning complex[3] was situated along the edge of a frozen lake, amidst trees and mountains,[1] where it elegantly blended into the snowy landscape of Krownest as a testament to the adaptability and design capabilities of the Mandalorian people.[6] The stronghold was guarded by several members of Clan Wren,[1] and a number of Fang-class starfighters.[7]
Entrance to the Wren Stronghold was achieved via a flight of stairs on either end of the complex's lakeward face. Within, the stronghold housed communication facilities, as well as areas for members of Clan Wren to spar.[1] The complex also featured an expansive great hall,[2] furnished with a long dining table and a large throne for the clan leader. The great hall was decorated with a number of chandeliers, wall-mounted light fixtures, several potted plants, and a portrait of the leader of Clan Wren displayed over the throne. Leading off from the great hall at the front of the complex was a small balcony that overlooked the nearby lake.[1]
History[]
- "I'll take you to the stronghold, but I can't vouch for how you'll be greeted."
- ―Tristan Wren, speaking to his sister Sabine upon her return to Krownest
The Wren Stronghold was the ancestral home of Clan Wren,[1] a legendary family of Mandalorian warriors.[8] During the reign of the Galactic Empire, the stronghold acted as the clan's seat of power,[7] and was the residence of the clan's leader, Ursa Wren, her son Tristan, and several other members of Clan Wren.[1] In the year 2 BBY,[9] Ursa's estranged daughter, Sabine Wren, journeyed to the Wren Stronghold with a group of friends—including the Jedi Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger—in an effort to recruit her clan to the growing rebellion against the Empire. Despite initial hostilities, Sabine and her allies were welcomed into the complex by Ursa Wren, though the Jedi were forced to relinquish their lightsabers before entering the Mandalorians' home.[1]
While Sabine attempted to negotiate an alliance with her mother, even gifting her ownership of the Darksaber[1]—a longstanding icon of Mandalorian authority she had recently reclaimed from the former Sith Lord Maul[10]—Ursa chose to instead to offer the Jedi to the Empire in exchange for amnesty for both her daughter and Clan Wren, contacting the Imperial Viceroy of Mandalore in secret. Soon after, Viceroy Gar Saxon arrived at the Wren Stronghold with a cadre of Imperial Super Commandos, and it was there that the Empire's puppet ruler revealed his intentions to betray Ursa, and kill Clan Wren along with the Jedi. Fighting quickly broke out in the great hall between the Imperial-aligned super commandos and the forces of a Jedi-backed Clan Wren, eventually leading to the deaths of numerous super commandos, while Saxon and Sabine Wren engaged each other in a bout of single combat that spilled out onto the nearby frozen lake. Sabine emerged victorious, though it was Ursa who ultimately killed Saxon, firing on the Imperial governor when he attempted to shoot Sabine in the back after she chose to spare his life. Though the Jedi later departed Krownest, Sabine chose to remain with her clan at the Wren Stronghold, to continue the Mandalorians' fight against the Empire.[1] With the death of Gar Saxon, civil war between Clans Wren and Saxon soon broke out.[7]
During the Empire's devastating assault on the rebellion's base of operations on Atollon, Ezra Bridger returned to Krownest to once again ask Clan Wren for their aid against the Empire. At the Wren Stronghold, Bridger informed the Mandalorians of the Imperial attack, only to learn of the hostilities between Clan Wren and the Imperial-aligned Clan Saxon. Though their forces were spread thin, Ursa Wren chose to allow her daughter Sabine and a group of Wren volunteers to depart Krownest with Bridger in order to reinforce the besieged rebels on Atollon. The Mandalorian volunteers arrived in the Atollon system not long after, and it was due to their efforts the Imperial Interdictor vessel positioned over Atollon was ultimately destroyed, allowing numerous rebel ships and personnel to escape the planet and continue the fight against the Empire.[7]
Behind the scenes[]
The Wren Stronghold first appeared in Star Wars canon in "Legacy of Mandalore," the sixteenth episode of the animated Star Wars Rebels television series' third season,[1] premiering February 18, 2017.[11]
The look of the Wren Stronghold in Star Wars Rebels was strongly influenced by the aesthetics of architect Frank Loyd Wright's "Prairie" style of design. The portrait of Ursa Wren that hangs in the stronghold's great hall was rendered in a style similar to that of notable artist Gustav Klimt.[2]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars Rebels — "Legacy of Mandalore" (First appearance)
- Star Wars Rebels — "Zero Hour"
Sources[]
- "Legacy of Mandalore" Episode Guide | Star Wars Rebels on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 63 (Highlights of the Saga: The Darksaber)
- Star Wars: Timelines (Picture only)
- Wren Stronghold in the Databank (backup link) (First identified as Wren Stronghold)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Star Wars Rebels — "Legacy of Mandalore"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Legacy of Mandalore" Episode Guide | Star Wars Rebels on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Krownest in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ Rebels Recon #3.16: Inside "Legacy of Mandalore" | Star Wars Rebels on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- ↑ Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wren Stronghold in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Star Wars Rebels — "Zero Hour"
- ↑ Clan Wren in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels — "Trials of the Darksaber"
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels : Legacy of Mandalore on Screener (January 5, 2017) (archived from the original on January 21, 2017)