Kelnacca

Kelnacca

Kelnacca was aWookieeJedi Master of theJedi Order during theHigh Republic Era. In230 BBY, he took on aPadawan,Yarzion Vell. Ayear later, Kelnacca and Vellfought theNihilmarauders on the astronomical objectVianax, and later helped with repairs in asettlement there. In228 BBY, the plague known as theblight was found on Kelnacca'shomeworld ofKashyyyk, and he joined ateamsent to theplanet. Theday after their arrival, ameditation team working to slow the blight's spread was attacked by thesentientcarnivorous plants known as theDrengir, and Kelnacca helped fight back against them.

Kelnacca later decided to join themeditation team, and soon after it was discovered that the blight was spreading toward agrove that secretly contained the last survivingwhite wroshyr trees, which were considered sacred to the Wookiees. After another Drengir attack, Kelnacca joined members of the team that traveled to the grove. There, they battled the Drengir again, but they were overwhelmed and outnumbered. Along with fellow Wookiee JediBurryaga, Kelnacca communed with the whitewroshyr trees, who both turned the Drengir to thelight side of the Force and eradicated the blight on Kashyyyk.

The sameyear, Kelnacca and Vell encountered thebounty huntersLourna Dee,Quin Carree, andTey Sirrek on the Nihil-occupied planetNaboo. The group formed an alliance and worked together toinfiltrate Naboo'sRoyal Palace. They encounteredSisterH'Tar, one of the Nihil'sChildren of the Storm, who retreated after the Nihil were called to abattle at the planet Eriadu. Kelnacca and Vell later arrived at Eriadu along with reinforcements from several factions, turning the battle against the Nihil and forcing their surrender. In the final year of Vell's training, Kelnacca and his Padawan rescued thechildYesula and herfather from afire on the astronomical objectVeek. After Vell rescued theirdroidZeekay, Kelnaccaknighted his Padawan and then had Velltattoo his name on his head, following a tradition from Vell'shomeworld.

In148 BBY, Kelnacca wasstationed on the planetBrendok withJedi KnightSol,Jedi MasterIndara, and her Padawan,Torbin. While investigating avergence inthe Force on the planet, the Jedi discovered acoven ofwitches led byMotherAniseya. After becoming concerned that the witches were training thetwinsVerosha "Osha" andMae-ho "Mae" Aniseya touse the Force, the Jedi requested to test thetwins to become Padawans, which Aniseya reluctantly agreed to. When the Jedi returned to the witches'fortress, a skirmish broke out. Kelnacca waspossessed by the witches and attacked Sol and Torbin before Indara broke their hold on his mind. After, the Jedi departed the world with Osha, while Mae was presumeddead.

After Vell's death, Kelnacca agreed to complete the training of his Padawan,Ordea. By133 BBY, he wasliving in isolation on the planetKhofar. After learning that Mae had survived and hadkilled both Indara and Torbin, Sol and a team of Jedi weresent to Khofar to extract Kelnacca. However, before they could, Kelnacca was killed by Mae's master, aSith known asthe Stranger. Following Osha'skilling of Sol on Brendok, Jedi MasterVernestra Rwoh insisted that Sol had been behind the murders of Kelnacca and his fellow Jedi.

Biography[]

Nihil conflict[]

Training a Padawan[]

Kelnacca was aForce-sensitiveWookiee fromfrom theplanetKashyyyk^[1] who wasborn around380 BBY^[2] and became aJedi Master of theJedi Order during theHigh Republic Era. After theStarlight Beaconspace station wasdestroyed^[4] by theNihilmarauders and crashed into theocean of the planetEiram in230 BBY,^[7] Kelnacca was sent to the crash site as part of the relief effort from^[4] the planet^[8]Coruscant. On Eiram, Jedi MasterElzar Mann introducedPadawanYarzion Vell, whose Master,Lulad, haddied in the crash, to Kelnacca. After Vell thanked Kelnacca for taking on histraining and promised not to let him orthe Force down, Kelnacca began walking away from his new Padawan.^[4]

In229 BBY,^[9] Kelnacca and Vellfought the Nihil onVianax, an astronomical object within the Nihil controlledOcclusion Zone. Following the battle, the two Jedi assisted the inhabitants of asettlement with repairs, with Kelnacca usingtelekinesis to lift debris. A group ofchildren watching remarked on Kelnacca's size and strength. AnElomin said that they were excited to see Kelnacca, as they had never seen a Wookiee before, especially since he coulduse the Force. The group approached Vell, and ahuman asked if Kelnacca ever spoke, to which Vell responded that he only did when he needed to.^[4]

Blight on Kashyyyk[]

In228 BBY,^[10] theblight, a plague that slowly but relentlessly spread across worlds and corroded them, was discovered on Kashyyyk, and Kelnacca volunteered to join ateam of Jedi led by thehumanJedi KnightReath Silas. The team's goal on themission was to hold back the blight throughmeditation, study it, and to convince the Wookiees to evacuate the planet if necessary. The Wookiee Jedi KnightBurryaga, who was around acentury younger than Kelnacca, introduced him to Silas after he volunteered. Due to Kelnacca's intelligence and strength in the Force, Silas was grateful that Kelnacca had joined the team. Silas later privately told Burryaga that a Wookiee should lead the mission to their homeworld, but Burryaga told him that a Wookiee would not be an ideal leader because they would be distracted by listening and communicating with thetrees of Kashyyyk, some of which they consideredsentient.^[1]

Silas decided the team would travel to Kashyyyk on a civiliantransport and hired the crew of aship known as theVessel. Shortly before the mission, Kelnacca and Burryaga arrived at theVessel's location on Coruscant. Kelnacca, who was even taller than Burryaga, had to duck low to get through some of the ship's passageways, and itscaptain,Affie Hollow, felt it was almost comical and mentally noted to consider putting in seats to accommodate largerspecies. In addition to the Jedi, the team also includedNan Hague, aprisoner who claimed to have defected from the Nihil, and former Jedi KnightAzlin Rell. When Silas introduced Rell to the team, Kelnacca's fur stood on end.^[1]

Returning home[]

TheVessel departed from Coruscant soon after. As the ship had departed at night, Hollow had dimmed its lights, and Kelnacca and Burryaga slung up hammocks. The two Wookiees laid in their hammocks and growled and whined mournfully inShyriiwook. While making her way through the ship, Hollow observed them and despite not understanding them, knew they were thinking of their wounded planet.^[1]

When theVessel landed on Kashyyyk, Kelnacca snuffled in happiness and shared a glance of understanding with Burryaga, who reflected on the bond the Wookiees felt with their homeworld. Silas followed Burryaga off the ship onto the landing platform and look around at theforest surrounding them. Kelnacca stood next to him and growled his pride in its beauty. Silas agreed, sayingthe galaxy would be happier if more people spent time on worlds like Kashyyyk. Silas then went to introduce himself to a small welcoming party of Wookiee led by the elder matriarchPruzzalla. The group then climbed down from the treetop platforms to ground level. Once they reached the ground, Jedi MasterBelka Poiryn, who had arrived ahead of them as part of ameditation team, informed Silas she hadsenseddarkness on Kashyyyk, then guided the group to where the blight was. Upon seeing the blight, Kelnacca howled mournfully. The team then headed to avillage to settle in.^[1]

Drengir attack[]

Early the nextmorning, the team meditating near the blight was attacked byDrengir, sentientcarnivorous plants strong in the dark side. The Drengir were defeated, but Jedi PadawanAmadeo Azzazzo was injured. After the fighting ended, he was examined by Silas and told the Knight that he would not be able to climb back up the trees and might have to be carried by a Wookiee. Kelnacca appeared at their sides, but Silas held up a hand, saying he wanted Azzazzo to be examined by amedic before he was moved. The Jedi and Wookiees ultimately rigged up a sling lift to transport the wounded back to thevillage. Kelnacca returned by riding amylaya steed up the trees at almost a ninety degree angle. After observing Kelnacca, thescientistAvon Starros decided against climbing up herself, instead joining the end of the queue for the injured.^[1]

Later, Kelnacca and Burryaga both decided to join the meditation team. Silas had wanted them to join a group that would search for the Nihil scientistDoctorZadina Mkampa, but Burryaga informed Silas of their intentions. Silas was surprised, as he had not taken Kelnacca for a mystic, but Burryaga explained their strong spiritual ties to their homeworld would give their thoughts additional protective power. Silas's former master,Cohmac Vitus, also informed him he wanted to join the team with Kelnacca and Burryaga, although he acknowledged his presence would not be as critical as the Wookiees' would be.^[1]

The secret of the Wookiees[]

After Silas's group left, it was discovered that the patch of blight had expanded, with a spike expanding eastward toward agrove that secretly contained the last survivingwhite wroshyr trees, which were considered sacred to the Wookiees. Following the discovery, Kelnacca attended a private meeting in a hut set off from the rest of the village. With the exception ofGeode, aVintian who served as thenavigator of theVessel, only Wookiees were invited to the meeting. Kelnacca and Burryaga both repeatedly growled their fury atEye of the NihilMarchion Ro and the blight, though they caught themselves and battled their tempers.^[1]

When Geode asked why they had not spoken of their secret to the Jedi, Pruzzalla'saideLohgarra argued that non-Wookiees often profaned all they touched. Burryaga disagreed with Lohgarra, and Kelnacca added that the Jedi had arrived to provide protection, and that the white wroshyr trees were more deserving of protection than anything else on Kashyyyk. Pruzzalla decided they would have the entire village vote on the matter, and Kelnacca nodded.^[1]

As the Wookiees gathered in a large structure in the village to vote, Silas observed Kelnacca among the group. The Wookiees ultimately voted in favor of revealing the existence of the trees to the Jedi. The non-Wookiees gathered in the village, where Pruzzalla informed them of the trees. After listening to her words, Silas asked if the Wookiees would take the group there, and Pruzzalla responded that the Wookiee Jedi had asked to lead them to the grove. Following the explanation, Jedi KnightDez Rydan realized that Kelnacca and Burryaga had already known about the secret grove. Once Pruzzalla finished speaking, Kelnacca sprang to the nearest tree and began clambering higher to arrange transportation. When Rydan saw this, he was startled at how high Kelnacca had leapt.^[1]

The thornseed[]

Kelnacca soon returned with mylayas for the group to use. As the team rode the steeds to the grove, Burryaga roared a yell of comradeship and shared purpose to Kelnacca. Kelnacca roared an answer that was even louder and echoed off the trees. Once the team arrived around half aklick away from the grove, the mylayas stopped, and Kelnacca informed Silas that they would have to make the rest of the journey on foot, as the mylayas could sense the white wroshyr trees and instinctively kept their distance from the larger life-forms. As they walked, Hollow thought about a warning Lohgarra had given the group about dangerous life-forms in the forest, but felt that because Kelnacca and Burryaga did not seem worried, she did not have to be either. Once the group reached the grove, they discovered athornseed, a type ofSith artifact capable of turning theplant life in an area to the dark side, in theWell of Night, a hole within the grove. After discussing the thornseed, the team returned to the village.^[1]

The nextday, the Drengir attacked the village. During the fighting, Kelnacca bellowed while brutally cuffing a Drengir, knocking it to the forest floor. After repelling the Drengir, Starros and Silas realized they had been influenced into attacking the village by Mkampa to distract them from the thornseed. Silas shouted for Kelnacca and several other Jedi to join him in returning to the white wroshyr grove. As he did, he was attacked by another Drengir, but it was incinerated by Hollow piloting theVessel. The ship then descended to allow the team to board it so they could return to the grove. As the group gathered on arope bridge to leap to theVessel, Nan made her way to the crowd and grabbed Kelnacca's arm. Without looking at who he was assisting, Kelnacca leapt into the ship without feeling her weight.^[1]

Battle in the grove[]

After arriving near the grove, Mkampa attacked the group in herSpider SquallFirebringer and summoned the Drengir usinglight intensifiers aimed at the thornseed. At a point during the battle, Kelnacca held off two Drengir at once with his lightsaber. The Jedi and Wookiees were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the Drengir, so Silas called for them to retreat across a bridge to the island the grove was located on. The Drengir began to gather near the bridge, but the influence of the white wroshyr trees temporarily kept them from reaching the island. When Silas picked up Nan, who had been hurt during the fight, Kelnacca came up beside them and roared at Silas that he should not strain his human muscles with the burden. He then grabbed Nan by the collar of hershirt and plopped her across his shoulder.^[1]

The group then made attempts to destroy the thornseed, but were unable to do so. After one attempt, Kelnacca roared to warn the team that the Drengir were coming. He dumped Nan, who was semiconscious, into a nearby bush, then attacked the Drengir with his lightsaber as they stormed into the grove. Kelnacca ripped a Drengir in two and then bellowed his victory over it. Despite defeating several of the Drengir, the Jedi and their allies were still overwhelmed. Geode beganheating himself to superconductivity, then exploded, sacrificing himself to destroy the thornseed. With the thornseed destroyed, the Drengir were deprived of some of their power and slowed, though they did not cease their attack.^[1]

Communing with the trees[]

Burryaga leapt into the Well of Night to commune with the white wroshyr trees, and Kelnacca followed him in. Kelnacca's fearsome grin was replaced with an expression of humility, as he understood Burryaga's intentions and intended to ask alongside him and communing with the trees was considered one of the riskiest and holiest acts possible for a Wookiee. The two Wookiees stood face to face and closed their eyes as they communed with the wroshyr trees. They remained deep in meditation as the trees began to radiate pure light. The white wroshyr trees communicated with the Drengir and their leader, theGreat Progenitor, and convinced them to turn to thelight side of the Force.^[1]

Following the Drengir's conversion, Silas promised Kelnacca and Burryaga that he and the other members of the team would not speak of the white wroshyr grove to anyone else, even to theJedi Council, unless the Wookiees permitted it. Kelnacca gruffly responded that he thought it was unlikely they would decide to do so. He stated the grove was a Wookiee secret and should remain one, but he trusted both the Jedi and civilian members of the team to not speak of it. Soon after, Mkampa was arrested, and a service was held for Geode at sunset.^[1]

Once the group returned to the village, they learned from Pruzzalla that the blight had vanished and the damaged caused by it had been healed when the white wroshyr trees's power had been released from restraining the thornseed. A party was later held in the village, and Kelnacca was one of the chief percussionists. He stood at the head of the drummers and banged on an enormous drum. Several Jedi, including Azzazzo, and at least two dozen Wookiees danced to the drummers' deep percussive beat. The Jedi remained on Kashyyyk for at least one additional day following the end of theDrengir crisis.^[1]

Occupation of Naboo[]

Later thatyear,^[12] Kelnacca and Vell were present on the Nihil-occupied planetNaboo when they witnessed aconfrontation between a group of the marauders and thebounty huntersLourna Dee,Quin Carree, andTey Sirrek. Dee shot at aGloovan Nihil, but Vell leapt and deflected her shot with his lightsaber, instead pushing theGloovan away with the Force. After two other Nihil noted their surprise at seeing Jedi on Naboo, Kelnacca raised hisarm andmind tricked them into setting theirblasters tostun and shooting each other. Dee asked the two Jedi who they were, and Vell responded by saying they were friends and introducing both himself and Kelnacca. Kelnacca also responded in Shyriiwook, and Dee replied that it was also nice to meet him before stating that she had heard that Mann still believed there were Jedi alive on Naboo.^[11]

Quin then informed the Jedi that they were looking for survivors of experiments conducted by the Nihil scientistBaronBoolan, and Kelnacca responded in Shyriiwook. Dee then proposed an alliance, offering to help them break into the Nihil stronghold on Naboo and liberate the planet if the Jedi assisted them with locatingSisterH'Tar, one of Boolan'sChildren of the Storm. Kelnacca questioned her, and Dee claimed that she was in it for themoney rather than helping out of the goodness of her heart.^[11]

The group then infiltrated Naboo'sRoyal Palace, with Kelnacca overriding a lock within the building. Quin complained to Dee that she let Kelnacca override the lock instead of letting^[11] her^[13] do it, but Dee responded that it was sometimes better to let the Wookieeslice. Quin apologized, saying that she was jumpy, and Dee stated that she also felt a sense of fear. Vell noted that the feeling was similar to that of theForce-consumingNameless creatures and asked Kelnacca if he believed any were present, but Kelnacca disagreed. Dee agreed with Kelnacca, noting that the Nameless would not affect her. She then attempted to confirm with Sirrek that they were feeling H'Tar, but he did not respond. Dee then witnessed Kelnacca and the others fall to the ground as she saw^[11] a hallucination caused by H'Tar^[14] of an individual appearing similar to her past self attack her.^[11]

Battle of Naboo[]

Dee began fighting the hallucination and raised her arm to punch it as it knelt on the ground. Before she could, Kelnacca grabbed her arm to stop her, and Dee saw that the hallucination was actually Vell, who had seen Dee as a Nameless attempting to kill his master. Sirrek then noticed H'Tar, who was using a device known as theFear Engine to cause the hallucinations. Kelnacca drew his lightsaber, and he and the others fought members of the Nihil defending H'Tar. The Nihil soon retreated after receiving a transmission calling them to join abattle at^[14] the planet^[8]Eriadu, and several of them were crushed when Jedi MasterKeeve Trennis shot at the building from herJedi Vector.^[14]

Dee then spoke with Trennis viacomm unit and informed her of the transmission, suggesting that the battle on Eriadu could be a turning point in the conflict. Kelnacca spoke in Shyriiwook to offer an assessment of the situation, and Trennis asked who was with Dee, believing it wasArkoff,^[14] another Wookiee Jedi Master.^[7] Kelnacca responded to identify himself, and Trennis apologized, then stated her agreement with his assessment, noting that Naboo had suffered under the Nihil. She asked him to stay on the planet to coordinate the relief effort and ensure the Nihil had truly left, which Kelnacca agreed to. Trennis ordered Dee to remain as well, though she refused.^[14]

After arriving above Eriadu, Trennis spoke withRepublic Defense CoalitionAdmiralPevel Kronara and informed^[15] him^[7] that Kelnacca was assisting the insurgents on Naboo.^[15] Kelnacca and Vell later also headed to Eriadu, bringing reinforcements from the Republic, theMon Cal fleet, theTogruta, and theHutts. Kelnacca contacted the RepublicLongbeam cruiserGios, and whenCommanderVelko Jahen heard him,^[16] she^[7] asked if he was a Wookiee. Trennis confirmed he was and provided Kelnacca's identity. Trennis then asked Kelnacca if Vell with with him, and Vell responded to inform her he was, then told her of the reinforcements they had brought. With the arrival of the reinforcements, the tide of the battle turned, and the Nihil soon surrendered.^[16] Fourmonths later,^[17] around227 BBY,^[18] Kelnacca and Vell arrived on the planetDalna, where they helped prepare for a celebration at theBeacon, a sanctuary for those displaced during the Nihil conflict. Later, they attended the feast as well.^[17]

Knighting Padwans[]

A sign of respect[]

In 227BBY,^[9] in theJedi Temple on Coruscant, Kelnacca spotted Vell looking at ahologram of Lulad, and noticed that Lulad had similartattoos to Vell, and asked him about her. Vell explained that it was a tradition on hishome planet for one to wear the name of their greatestteacher on their skin as a sign of respect. He further explained that after Vell had gotten Lulad's name tattooed on his head, Lulad had decided to be tattooed with Vell's name, as she believed a Jedi's greatest lessons came from those they taught. Kelnacca did not respond to what Vell had told him, but Vell knew he did not need to.^[4]

In the final year of Vell's training, Kelnacca and Vell assisted the childYesula and herfather on theOuter Rim astronomical objectVeek, where their home had caughtfire. After they both used the Force to protect thefather and child from the fire, Kelnacca stayed in the burning home until Vell had also safely left. After Kelnacca emerged, Vell learned that thedroidZeekay, who had holos ofYesula's mother, was still inside. Vell reentered the burning home and rescued the droid, after which the father thanked him. Vell subsequently apologized to Kelnacca for rescuing the droid, but Kelnacca responded by igniting hislightsaber and cutting Vell'sPadawan braid,knighting him. Kelnacca then asked to be tattooed with Vell's name in the same way that Lulad had.^[4]

Paying respects[]

Around149 BBY,^[19] Vell, who had since taken on his own Padawan,Ordea, was dying. Ordea was concerned about who would complete their training after Vell died, and so Vell told them of how Kelnacca had taken him on as a Padawan after his own master had died, and other stories of his training with Kelnacca. Just as Vell was about to tell Ordea about the tattoos Kelnacca received, Kelnacca arrived at Vell's location on the planetTozil. Vell acknowledged his old master's presence and then died. Kelnacca then picked up his body and brought it outside, where he and Ordea burned it and held afuneral.^[4]

As they watched the flames, Ordea noticed Kelnacca's tattoos and after recalling what Vell had said about his own tattoos, realized their meaning. Ordea then began to ask if Kelnacca would complete their training, but stopped and apologized, telling Kelnacca it was not appropriate to ask him, as he had come to pay respect to Vell. However, Kelnacca responded by igniting hislightsaber, agreeing to Ordea's request. When Kelnacca asked if they were ready, Ordea ignited their own lightsaber and told their new master that they were.^[4] Around148 BBY,^[19] Kelnacca completed Ordea's training.^[5]

Mission to Brendok[]

Investigating a vergence[]

At some point, Kelnacca once received a satchel from aKashyyyk elder. At another point, Kelnacca taught Jedi MasterIndara theWrruushi fighting discipline.^[5] In 148BBY,^[21] Kelnacca wasstationed on the planetBrendok with Indara; her Padawan,Torbin; and Jedi KnightSol.^[22] There, thefour Jedi investigated the life present on the planet, as it was thriving despite being catalogued as lifeless after ahyperspace disaster^[20] in232 BBY.^[7] Sevenweeks into the mission, Kelnacca used aterrain scanner to investigate the planet. That night, Kelnacca cookednuna legs for the group,^[20] to which he addedcalarantrum root seasonsing to compensate free-related blandness.^[5] Torbin complained about the meal due to having already eaten nuna legs often during the mission, and Indara warned him not to insult a Wookiee's cooking. The next day, Kelnacca continued using hisdetector to investigate Brendok, which the Jedi suspected contained avergence in the Force.^[20]

Shortly after, Sol learned of acoven ofwitches led byMotherAniseya, and became concerned that they were training children to use the Force, which the witches called the Thread. Hespied on the coven, and noticed thetwinsVerosha "Osha" andMae-ho "Mae" Aniseya, who often wandered outside of the witch'sfortress. After Sol reported this to the other Jedi, they rodespeeder bikes to the fortress, and Kelnacca sliced the controls to anelevator to grant the group access.^[20]

Interrupting a ceremony[]

The Jedi then entered thecourtyard where the twins'Rite of Ascension ceremony, where they would become witches, was being held. Indara introduced the four Jedi, and stated their concerns about the witches training children againstRepublic law. The witches refuted Indara's claims, stating that Brendok was not part of the Republic, and that they had no children. However, after Kelnacca noticed the twins, Indara asked them to come out of the crowd. When Sol suggested that Osha be tested to train as a Jedi, she asked her mother for permission. In response, Aniseya incapacitated Torbin with a Thread ability, and threatened to not reverse the effects unless the Jedi left. However, she reluctantly agreed to allow her children to be tested. Following this, the Jedi exited the courtyard.^[22]

The next day, when Osha and Mae arrived at the Jedi'sstarship to be tested, Kelnacca was repairing a damagedspeeder bike. While waiting for Mae to finish her testing, Osha approached Kelnacca, and he briefly spoke with her in Shyriiwook before she entered thestarship. When she exited after completing her testing, Kelnacca was now performing other mechanical work. He noticed her and called out to her in Shyriiwook. In response, Osha^[20] half-heartedly^[23] smiled at him. That night, Kelnacca again made dinner for the group while they discussed theJedi Council's refusal to allow them to bring the twins to Coruscant.^[20]

Confronting the coven[]

When Torbin reported the results of the twins'M-count test, Kelnacca gathered around him with Indara and Sol. After realizing the unusual results indicated the possibility of the vergence the Jedi had been seeking,^[20] something that frightened all gathered,^[24] Torbin, against his Master's orders, took a speeder bike and headed to the fortress. Indara ordered Sol to pursue him on another bike, while she and Kelnacca followed on the Jedi's ship. As they approached, Indara was unable to land, and so got close enough for Kelnacca to jump, telling him to stop the other Jedi before they started a conflict.^[20]

Inside the fortress, Mae started a fire to kill Osha and prevent her from becoming a Jedi. Sol and Torbin confronted the witches, and after Sol killed Aniseya, they fought. During the fight, Kelnacca arrived, but he waspossessed by the witches,^[20] who had united to ensorcell his mind and turn him into a raging berserker, forcing him to attack his fellow Jedi.^[5] He engaged Torbin and Sol in alightsaber duel, and during the fight, slammed Torbin into a wall, injuring his face. Sol was able to disarm Kelnacca, and then fought him inhand-to-hand combat. As Kelnacca attempted to strangle Sol, Indara arrived. She knocked Kelnacca away and was able to free him from the witches's power^[20], with the psychic whiplash wiping out the entire coven.^[5] Indara then ordered Sol to save the twins, but he was only able to save Osha. Kelnacca and the other Jedi then returned to Coruscant on their ship.^[20] After the fire, Osha became Sol's Padawan, although she later left the Order.^[25] Following the mission, Kelnacca became obsessed with the symbol of the Ascension ceremony, which clouded his mind for years.^[5]

Assignment on Khofar[]

Exile[]

Around137 BBY,^[27] the Jedi Council assigned Kelnacca to the Outer Rim planetKhofar. He welcomed the posting, as he had found Coruscant stifling and Khofar was similar to Kashyyyk. Kelnacca used the assignment as a time of exile and penance.^[5] Around133 BBY,^[27] Kelnacca ventured deeper into Khofar's forests, drawn by the allure of the wilderness and a desire to leave the past behind. He lost contact with the Jedi and he lived in ashelter made from a wreckedastrotreadable wrapped around a tree, where he lived off the land. He scrawled a sign inShyriiwook near his shelter warning trespassers to keep away.^[5] Kelnacca kept himself isolated from civilization and scrawled the symbol of the Ascension ceremony on every open surface within his shelter.^[28]

Sixteen years after the fire on Brendok,^[26] in132 BBY,^[21] Osha's sister, Mae, now anassassin sought revenge against the four Jedi who had been on Brendok, and wanted to kill them to please her master,^[26] aSith known asthe Stranger,^[29] who she knew as thesmuggler Qimir. When Mae requested apoison to use on Torbin from Qimir, he expressed doubts about her ability to kill Kelnacca, as she had already previously failed to kill Torbin, who was meditating during her attempt. Shortly after, Osha, who was assisting the investigation intoIndara and Torbin's murders, told Sol about Kelnacca and the other Jedi that Mae was targeting. Later, Qimir informed Mae that he had located Kelnacca on Khofar.^[26]

On Khofar, Kelnacca encountered thescavengers^[26]Meevid andManju^[5] outside his shelter. When one Meevid drew a blaster, Kelnacca pulled the blaster to himself with the Force and broke it in two with his hands. In response, the two scavengers fled.^[26] Sometime later, Kelnacca again returned to his shelter with some plants, which he used to prepare a meal.^[30]

Death[]

In the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, several Jedi, including Sol and Jedi MasterVeo Holden, met to discuss Mae's murders. Jedi MasterVernestra Rwoh displayed holograms of Kelnacca, Torbin, and Indara, with the two who had been killed being displayed inred. She then ordered Jedi Master Holden to extract Kelnacca from his post on Khofar and to bring in Mae. Later, Sol convinced Rwoh to allow him to bring Osha with them to Khofar. Mae and Qimir, who had landed on Khofar, began searching for Kelnacca. While they walked, they discussed how Mae's previous murders had not pleased her master, and that she would have to kill Kelnacca without aweapon.^[30]

Inhyperspace on the way to Khofar, Jedi KnightYord Fandar briefed the others on themission. Kelnacca had not been heard from in over a year, and had not responded to any of the warnings sent to him by the Jedi. They would use theTynnan trackerBazil to find Kelnacca. After landing, PadawanJecki Lon spoke with locals, and learned that Kelnacca had ventured into the forest and never returned. Fandar then provided Bazil with a cloth, which he used to track Kelnacca. The others followed Bazil through the forest toward Kelnacca. Meanwhile, Mae had decided to stop her killings, and set a trap for Qimir. After he triggered it, she informed him she planned to surrender herself to Kelnacca, and left him hanging from a tree. When Mae arrived outside Kelnacca's shelter, she encountered Bazil, who alerted the Jedi to her presence. She ran and entered the shelter, where she found Kelnacca, who had already been killed by the Stranger.^[30] She cowered next to his body while realzing her master was aware of her failure and disloyalty.^[5]

Legacy[]

Shortly after, the Jedi arrived outside and attempted to arrest Mae, but the Stranger engaged them in alightsaber duel.^[30] Seeing this, Mae took Kelnacca's lightsaber and then attempted to escape, but was attacked by Lon, who arrested her for the murder of Kelnacca and the other Jedi she had killed. Lon took Kelnacca's lightsaber from Mae, and later used italongside her own while dueling the Stranger, although it was destroyed during the fight.^[32]

Later, Sol, Mae, Osha, and the Stranger all traveled to Brendok. During aconfrontation in the witches' fortress, Osha sided with the Stranger and killed Sol. As part of her investigation, Rwoh pursued them there, and after arriving, heard echos of words that were spoken in the courtyard sixteen years earlier, including Kelnacca roaring and Sol shouting at him. After, Rwoh claimed to a committee ofsenators that the Jedi sent to Brendok, including Kelnacca, had started a conflict with the witches that resulted in many causalities, and had conspired to cover it up. She further lied that Sol had killed the other Jedi to maintain the cover story when the truth threatened to come out. She then told the senators that Sol was now dead after presumably taking his own life and assured them that an external review of the Order was not necessary.^[31]

Personality and traits[]

Kelnacca was a Wookiee with brown fur and grayeyes.^[4] His unkempt fur was prone to knotting. He wore a topknot, and his shorn scalp revealed^[5] tattoos on the top of his head, which had Vell's namewritten in runes in thelanguage of his ancestors.^[4] By his time on Brendok, his fur had been lightened due to solar exposure from exoticsuns. He stood 2.29meters (sevenfeet, six inches) tall.^[5] Kelnacca only spoke when necessary, and often remained silent. Vell considered him to be brave and powerful.^[4] He was also stoic and wise.^[33] Kelnacca was reserved and gruff, but also intelligent. He wore his lighter brown head fur in a topknot. In battle, he usually had wild eyes and a fearsome toothy grin.^[1] Lourna Dee described him as "good-looking"^[11]

Kelnacca had a towering and noble presence that exuded confidence and control. As a Wookiee, he had a lifespan of several centuries, which he devoted to studying the Force and his duties as a Jedi. He was aware of his physical power and also knew the value of serenity. Although Wookiees had a reputation for short tempers, Kelnacca had an expertly honed mastery of his deepest instincts. Kelnacca spoke Shyriiwook and could understandBasic, though he could not speak it. Despite this, Kelnacca and other Jedi were drawn closer together by the connection of the Force. Kelnacca felt a kinship with Indara that drew him out of his reclusive shell. During the Brendok mission, Indara believed that only she and Kelnacca were properly focused on the mission.^[5]

Powers and abilities[]

As a Jedi who had been granted the rank of Master, Kelnacca was Force-sensitive^[4] and strong in the Force.^[1] He used the Force to help move debris and to protect others from a fire.^[4] He used a mind trick to have two members of the Nihil shoot each other.^[11] He also used the Force to pull a blaster from a scavenger's hands and broke it in two with his bare hands.^[26] Moreover, he was physically strong enough to kick a hole in a stone wall.^[20]

Kelnacca was skilled with technology, able to slice a door^[20] and perform mechanical work.^[22] He was an accomplished cook who could prepare meals fit for humans.^[5] He cookedfood for the other Jedi on Brendok,^[20] as well as for himself on Khofar.^[22] Though a Jedi, he could not protect his thoughts and was possessed by the Brendok coven, when they used their dark magic to make him turn on his own. He was a skilled swordsman, able to—while being controlled by the Brendok coven—dominate Sol and Torbin in melee combat with his bladework and greater physical strength. HisForce pushes sent them tumbling and he could makegreat bounds with the Force.^[20]

Kelnacca was capable of teaching the Wrruushi fighting discipline to Indara. He had a well-honed physique, which paired powerfully with Jedi disciplines. Kelnacca developed his leg strength, which allowed him to cover long distances and leap incredible spans while traversing Khofar, and also lent great power to his strikes. His stance could intimidate combatants into surrendering. High speeds could reduce his sense of smell.^[5]

Equipment[]

Kelnacca wielded a green-bladed lightsaber which had distinct wear from many years of use^[34] and a lengthened grip to accommodate Wookiee hands.^[5] He wore brown and goldJedi robes.^[20] While celebrating on Kashyyyk, Kelnacca played an enormous drum that was as high as his waist and nearly as wide as it was tall.^[1] On Brendok, he used a terrain scanner while investigating the possibility of a vergence.^[20] On Khofar, he wore a traditional Wookiee satchel received from a Kashyyykelder in which he stored food prep items, including wrapped nutritional ingredients and^[5] and plants.^[26] He also used horicultural snippers with well maintained shear blades.^[5]

Behind the scenes[]

Milestones[]

Kelnacca was created for the2024Disney+ live-action seriesStar Wars: The Acolyte^[35] and first appeared in "Revenge / Justice," the second episode of the series,^[26] which aired onJune 4, 2024.^[36] The character was first revealed atStar Wars Celebration Europe onApril 7,2023, where he was introduced on stage by showrunnerLeslye Headland at theLucasfilm Studio Showcase^[35] and appeared in a Celebration-exclusive trailer.^[37] Kelnacca was portrayed byJoonas Suotamo, who previously played the WookieeChewbacca in thesequel trilogy andSolo: A Star Wars Story. Suotamo expressed his excitement about playing a Jedi at the Celebration, saying he had wanted to be a Jedi since he was a kid.^[35] OnMay 29, 2024, items based on characters fromThe Acolyte, including hairstyle and beard customizations inspired by Kelnacca, were added to theElectronic Artsmassively multiplayer online roleplaying gameStar Wars: The Old Republic^[38]

In early versions of the story, Kelnacca was hiding on Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld. It was changed to Khofar in order to explore new areas of thegalaxy.^[39] An early draft for the episode "Day" was going to show Kelnacca's fight against "The Master" and his death scene, but this had to be changed due to budgetary issues and story problems, such as Kelnacca's scene breaking thepoint of view from the protagonist in a way writerClaire Kiechel felt to not work well.^[40] A sun made of plywood and gold fabric was created and hit with light to create a blood-red effect. The sun set at the moment Mae found Kelnacca dead in his shelter. To amplify the tension of the scene, Tungsten Fresnel lights were put up on frames and dropped at the right moment.^[41]

The campfire scene on Brendok was shot atPinewood Studios^[42] in the United Kingdom,^[43] and other scenes on Brendok were shot inWales. The entrance to the Brendok fortress was shot at Upper Neuadd Reservoir and Dam in Wales, and interior shots were filmed atShinfield Studios,^[42]England.^[44] Interior shots of Kelnacca's shelter and the Jedi's transport ship were also shot at Shinfield Studios.^[45] The site of the Jedi ship^[46] and the locations where the Jedi explored and catalogued Brendok^[43] were also filmed at Upper Neuadd Reservoir.^[43][46]

When Kelnacca pulled away the scavenger's blaster, it was done by having a crew member stand on a ladder and pull it away with string. It took multiple takes to get the angle correct, and during one take, the blaster was broken and had to be repaired.Scroobius Pip, who portrayed the scavenger, said it was important to him that he did not meet Suotamo without his Kelnacca costume on, and so he did not enter communal areas on set. According to Pip, Headland said the scene on Khofar was the best shot in^[47] "Revenge / Justice."^[26] Storyboards of the sequence involving Kelnacca and the scavengers were created byJim Cornish.^[48]Vincent Jenkins created concept art of Kelnacca and the other Jedi sitting together for the Brendok campfire scene.^[49][50] One piece of concept art of Kelnacca was created byLouis Wiltshire with its costume design byJennifer Bryan.^[51]

Concept art gallery[]

Star Wars: The Acolyte

Storyboards

Concept art

Digital renderings

In-progress artwork

Storyboards

Storyboard, Jim Cornish^[48]

Storyboard, Jim Cornish^[48]

Storyboard, Jim Cornish^[48]

Concept art

Concept art, Louis Wiltshire (art) and Jennifer Bryan (costume design)^[51]

Concept art of the Brendok Jedi by a campfire, Vincent Jenkins^[49]

Concept art of the Brendok Jedi by a campfire, Vincent Jenkins^[50]

Creator comments[]

Headland believed that Kelnacca was the only Jedi who was blameless in the situation, and that he deserved a "pass", but did not think he would give himself one. She said that Kelnacca did not forgive himself, which was part of the reason he went into isolation.^[53] Suotamo said that although it was up to interpretation, he believed that Kelnacca fought back against his attacker before being killed. He also believed that Kelnacca felt like an outsider and did not completely belong with other Jedi. Suotamo added he thought that because Kelnacca was an outsider, it made his choice to go into seclusion easier. Headland did not tell Suotamo about Kelnacca's fate when she first explained the role to him. Suotamo was surprised when he later learned of his death, but felt that it was necessary for the story and was both sad and dramatic.^[52]

At first, Headland did not think she would be allowed to have a Wookiee Jedi, but she kept pitching the idea and special effects artistNeal Scanlan loved the idea. Another reason Headland pushed for Kelnacca's design was because she "couldn't resist" the opportunity to be on set with a Wookiee. Headland's wife,Rebecca Henderson,^[54] who portrayed Vernestra Rwoh,^[55] was scared of Kelnacca, which Headland thought was funny.^[54]

Portrayal[]

Although other Wookiee Jedi, such as Burryaga, have appeared in High Republic era media, Kelnacca was the first to appear in live-action. Headland said she thought it would be "cool" to do her own version of a Wookiee Jedi. She was also inspired by Suotamo's performance as Chewbacca inSolo, saying that she wanted to see him do fighting and action work as a Jedi, and not just be a sidekick.^[54]

Suotamo deliberately tried to differentiate his performance as Kelnacca from Chewbacca, as even though both characters are Wookiees, they are very different. He said that there was "more to" being a Jedi, and it was a challenge. He enjoyed preparing and training for his role with his castmates, and said that they had a lot of time to think about each situation and moment.^[54] While filming^[52] the2017 sequel trilogy film^[56]Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi,^[52] director^[56]Rian Johnson recommended Suotamo study thesilent film actorsCharlie Chaplin andBuster Keaton to learn how to show what his character was thinking. Suotamo tried to use what he learned from that while portraying Kelnacca.^[52]

Suotamo was excited to test himself and see the lengths he could go to in his role. He considered how Kelnacca behaved, how he carried himself, and what he learned during his timetraining as a Jedi while preparing for his role.^[55] Suotamo explained that while both Chewbacca and Kelnacca were devoted and loyal, as while as relaxed, Kelnacca had a sense of duty to the Jedi way that Chewbacca did not.^[4] He also described Kelnacca as "proud"^[52] and a "noble being", who tried to walk a certain way and keep himself centered.^[4] Suotamo compared Kelnacca to asamurai master^[52] and also channeled the characterMufasa from^[4] the1994 animated film^[57]The Lion King to strike a balance between esteemed Jedi grandeur and natural ferocity.^[4]

Fight sequence[]

Suotamo was ecstatic to use a lightsaber and perform Kelnacca's fight sequence,^[58] which he described as "thrilling".^[59] Suotamo did all his stunts himself as no one else could fit inside the suit.^[53] The stunt team helped him learn the basic moves needed to execute the scene. Suotamo said that the leap may have been one of his favorites shots of all time. He added that he did not think he was going to be able to pull it off, and that he had to first fail multiple times and then improve once he saw how it looked.^[4] The jump took about two hours to film and around fifteen to twenty takes. Because of the extensive number of takes, Suotamo and the crew knew that everything had worked on the final take. Suotamo wore a stunt harness and had a different number of attachments for different moves. For the leap, he had two or three wire attachments, which the crew used to lift and rotate him.^[59]

Action DirectorChristopher Clark Cowan had fun figuring out the fight sequence, but also described it as tricky. He took into account the sheer strength that a Wookiee would have in their strikes, saying that it mean a straight clash with a Wookiee would "knock you off balance". Cowan added that because the witches were inside Kelnacca's mind and drawing out his primal instincts, he would be swinging wildly and not have immaculate form. Cowan also wanted Kelnacca to be wild and animalistic during the fight.^[58] During the fight, he tried to strike a balance between Kelnacca's refined and well-trained posture and the aggressiveness he would have from not being in control.^[4] Suotamo initially had Kelnacca hesitate to fight against the other Jedi, and then ended up channelling his full rage toward them.^[59] The fight sequence was directed by Cowan andKogonada, the episode's director. Headland was not on set during the filming of the fight, which she regretted.^[53]

Suotamo enjoys fight scenes, and his goal is to make them look smooth and as a natural as possible. He also factored in the intent and emotions Wookiees have, and assumed them in his mentality when approaching the scene. He worked with stunt coordinatorMark Ginther and fight coordinatorGuillermo Grispo for the scene. Cowan had a vision for the scene, which Suotamo found easy to execute because of the instructions and feedback he was give. He also praised the entire stunt team for helping with the performance. Suotamo worked closely withLee Jung-jae andDean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed Sol and Torbin, respectively, for the scene. They rehearsed the scene for several weeks, and Suotamo found it to be the most demanding part of the shoot. When filming, the set was busy and the ground had gravel that was not present during rehearsals, which they needed to adapt to. For the scene when Indara tackled Kelnacca, Suotamo and Indara's stunt personKatie McDonnell rehearsed for a long time to verify they would get the leg grab and fall correct. Suotamo thought that McDonnell did a "phenomenal job" on the tackle. When Kelnacca returned to his senses, Suotamo wanted to convey that he was in a dark place and not himself, but that everything cleared up and became serene for him again. He thought Kogonada really liked his performance for that moment.^[59]

The scene was filmed in a warehouse at Arborfield Film Studios, which was an old military base in theUnited Kingdom. Suotamo began preparing for the scene with a stunt boot camp about one to two months before filming. He began with lightsaber choreography, starting with light warmups before moving to bigger moves. He explained that while working on major moves, he got better at the basics. Suotamo noted that while his lightsaber'shilt did not weigh much, the blade was much heavier. He credited his experience as a basketball player for giving him a basic foundation for the stunt work, noting it helped him with the ability to command his body to do the required movements relatively quickly, as well as with the jump. When Kelnacca kicked through a stone wall, only one take could be done, so there was pressure on Suotamo. However, he found the scene fun and described the way the wall broke as "beautiful". He also enjoyed the scene in which Kelnacca threw Torbin and pinned him to a wall. The scene also involved wire work, as Suotamo could not lift Chapman with only one hand.^[59]

Costume and design[]

Like other characters inThe Acolyte, Kelnacca came from his design first. Headland loved the idea of a Wookiee with the sides of his head shaved, which was the design that became Kelnacca. Although he was partially inspired by other Wookiee Jedi such as Burryaga, Headland gave Kelnacca a "very different character design".^[54] Creature & droid FX creative supervisor Neal Scanlan and his team, who had previously worked on Chewbacca, also worked on Kelnacca. Because he is a Jedi, they gave Kelnacca a more stately appearance, as well as more refined features to allow for more emotional responses. He was designed to be more refined than previous Wookiees. He was given a more articulate mouth and discreet color choices to contour the pattern of his facial fur, which both allow for more accentuated emotions. Kelnacca's Jedi robes were specially made by costume designer Jennifer Bryan and her team.^[60] For the show's original characters,^[61] which included Kelnacca,^[26] Headland personally selected the color of their lightsabers based on the character's personality and the aesthetics of the scenes they appeared in.^[61]

The creature department worked on making Suotamo's costume more breathable to allow for the tremendous physicality needed for Kelnacca's fight scene.^[58] Unlike Chewbacca, who had multiple suits, Kelnacca only had one suit,^[62] which was made fromlycra with knotted in^[59]Yak hair. Because of this, there was always a team on set to keep the suit looking beautiful. Typically, there were two stylists working on it at a time, one on each side. To keep the curls looking consistent, everyone that worked on them was trained to do them in the same way.^[62] Days on set usually lasted around ten hours, and Suotamo tried to go the full day without removing the suit, although he usually had to remove it once a day. However, Suotamo felt that the suit was not that complicated and was fairly easy for him to take off.^[52]

For most scenes, Suotamo wore hair covered boots, which included details such as toenails. For stunts, he used special shoes, which were less detailed and were essentially sneakers covered in hair. A separate stunt mask was also used for hits and falls that involved closeups to avoid damaging the intricate facial servos inside the main mask. However, the majority of the costume was the same for stunt scenes, and only the shoes and mask were changed.^[59]

Karl Gallivan worked as the lead mechanic on Kelnacca^[63] and engineered his facial animatronics, which were puppeteered bySteven Kynman.^[64]Brian Best created a 3D printed andglass reinforced plastic mould for casting foam latex skin pieces. Before printing, the mould was expanded by six percent to allow for foam shrinkage, a calculation worked out between Best and Gallivan. The sculpture was created byLouis Wiltshire.^[63]

Comics and continuity[]

Kelnacca also appeared inThe Acolyte - Kelnacca 1, a one-shotcomic which released onSeptember 4, 2024 and was written byCavan Scott with art byMarika Cresta. In an interview, Scott said that he was excited to connectThe Acolyte with previous High Republic media, and that Kelnacca was the perfect character to do so. He also revealed that the comic would explain the meaning behind Kelnacca's mysterious tattoos.^[33] Suotamo was instrumental in helping Scott and the creative team understand Kelnacca. During an early brainstorming call for the comic, Suotamo offered input on Kelnacca's character and what he embodies. He also explained to the team how he portrayed Kelnacca, and the similarities and differences between his portrayals of Chewbacca and Kelnacca.^[4]

Kelnacca also appears in Scott's2025 comic seriesStar Wars: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi as part of theStar Wars: The High Republic multimedia project'sPhase III. In an interview, Scott explained that although he was aware of Kelnacca's fate inThe Acolyte, it did not factor in much to how he fleshed out the character's backstory. Scott also said that Kelnacca was fun to write^[65] and that he loves writing Wookiees. Scott knew he wanted to bring Kelnacca into the project as soon as he saw early pictures fromThe Acolyte and liked being able to add additional interconnectivity to the High Republic Era.^[66]

Phil Noto's cover of thefirst issue ofFear of the Jedi,^[11] which released onFebruary 19, 2025,^[67] depicts Kelnacca with his tattoos.^[11] However, Kelnacca did not receive his tattoos until after Yarzion Vell was knighted,^[4] and the comic depicts Vell as still being Kelnacca's Padawan. The rest of the issue correctly depicts him without his tattoos.^[11] InThe High Republic: Into the Light, a young-adult novel byClaudia Gray^[1] that was published onApril, 2025,^[68] as part of Phase III,^[69] Kelnacca is described as a Jedi Knight.^[1] However,The Acolyte - Kelnacca 1 established that Kelnacca would be a Jedi Master prior to the time of the novel's events.^[4]

Appearances[]

Explore all of Wookieepedia'simages for this article subject.

• The High Republic: Into the Light(andaudiobook)
• The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi 1
• The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi 2
• The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi 3(Mentioned only)
• The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi 5
• The High Republic – The Finale 1
• The Acolyte - Kelnacca 1
• Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Choice"
• Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Destiny"
• Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Lost / Found"(Indirect mention only)
• Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Revenge / Justice"(First appearance)
• Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Day"
• Star Wars: The Acolyte — "Night"(Appears as a corpse)
• Star Wars: The Acolyte — "The Acolyte"(Voice only)

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• HowThe Acolyte brought the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca to life on screen by Ross, Dalton onEntertainment Weekly (July 20,2023) (backup link archived onFebruary 20,2024)
• Star Wars' New Wookiee Jedi Is Getting His Own Marvel Comic by Lussier, Germain onGizmodo (May 31,2024) (backup link archived onMay 31,2024)