The newest show of the War of the galaxies universe, the acolyte, brings us closer. Set during the High Republic, a century before the events of the prequel films, the acolyte will present to the fans a new group of Jedi. However, readers of High Republic novels and comics will see at least one familiar face: Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson). This Mirialan Jedi already has a storied history within the books of the High Republic. So let's look at the War of the galaxies moments that shaped Vernestra Rwoh.
Which one War of the galaxies Books of the High Republic Appears Vernestra Rwoh?
Vernestra Rwoh appears in several High Republic books for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers. It is also in numbers 2-5 and 15 of Cavan Scott, Ario Anindito and Mark Morales. Star Wars: The High Republic (2021) comic book series published by Marvel. I don't want to overload you with every possible detail about Vernestra's posting history. So I will tell you that the core of his story is told in middle grade books A test of courage by Justina Ireland and Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older. We also have her story in the YA novels Out of the shadows by Justina Ireland and Defy the storm by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton.
It also appears in two short stories in the anthology, Tales of Light and Life. It provides connective tissue for Vernestra's adventures outside of the novels. The novels in which Vernestra appears are linked to important events that happen in all the High Republic books. They all explore the biggest battles of the Republic from different perspectives.
The story of Vernestra Rwoh
Vernestra, or “Vern” to her closest friends, is an alien of the Mirialan species, originally from the planet Mirial. Mirialans have a variety of skin tones ranging from green to yellow to pink to blue. Like Vernestra herself, many Mirialans have facial tattoos. In the acolyte, Vernestra has tattoos on the outer corners of her eyes, as well as a complex joint on her scalp. His scalp tattoos are a new addition to his character design. All of her other appearances in the High Republic books show her with her signature purple hair. the acolyte takes place a century after the current setting of the High Republic books. So there's probably a good reason why Vernestra ditched her previous look.
Among the Jedi, Vernestra is known as a prodigy. He became a Jedi Knight at fifteen, and took on his first Padawan, Imri Cantaros, at seventeen. This made Vernestra one of the youngest Jedi Knights in the Order's history.
Vernestra and her relationship with her Jedi Master, Stellan Gios
The Jedi Master with whom Vernestra studied was Stellan Gios, one of the most important Jedi of the High Republic. Stellan, a human, was immediately recognizable by his blue lightsaber adorned with a crossguard. His handsome appearance made him popular among holograms. But Master Gios had a reputation for rambling on about Jedi history and philosophy. In contrast to his best friend, the renegade Jedi Master Elzar Mann, Stellan was a traditional Jedi, according to the books. He was comfortable doing politics where others shied away.
Unfortunately, in one of the High Republic's most heartbreaking twists, Stellan Gios was killed in the destruction of the Republic's Starlight Beacon base on the Outer Rim (as seen in The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray). He bravely refused to evacuate the base, instead piloting it in its final moments so others could escape.
Although Vernestra was no longer Stellan's Padawan at the time of her death, her loss was devastating to her. Before his death, he had considered telling her that he had modified his own lightsaber so that he could use it as a light whip by turning a bevel on his saber's hilt. This would be an important moment for her. In fact, she had procrastinated because she was nervous about how her traditional mentor might view this modification. To make matters worse, in the destruction of Starlight Beacon, Vernestra also lost her padawan, Imri Cantaros, who was declared missing after the incident.
Vernestra's journey as a wayfinder
To cope with her grief, Vernestra became a pathfinder. It's pretty much the Jedi Order's version of a sabbatical. Pathfinders go on their own to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to meditate and reshape their relationship with the Force. A crucial part of the Wayseekers is that they are not obligated to act as ambassadors for the policies of the Jedi Council. As individuals, they can choose to become involved in political conflicts on the Outer Rim, if they believe the Force wants them to. Vernestra went to the remote planet of Ibbe where she lived in peace.
Who are Vernestra Rwoh's friends?
That is, until his close friend, Avon Starros, arrived to ask him to help him find Imri Cantaros. Avon Starros is part of a larger network of allies that Vernestra has throughout the galaxy. A brilliant inventor, Avon is the daughter of Ghirra Starros, a Republic senator who defected to the evil pirate group, the Nihil.
Vernestra is friends with another daughter of a Nihil member, Sylvestri Yarrow. Sylvestri's mother, Chancey Yarrow, was mistakenly killed by the Jedi Elzar Mann. This happened during the destruction of Starlight Beacon, as he was trying to prevent the base from crashing. Elzar's bad judgment directly led to the death of his best friend Stellan Gios, adding an extra layer of tension between him and Vernestra. In her mentor's absence, Vernestra became close to Stellan's other best friend, Jedi Master Avar Kriss.
Additionally, Vernestra has close ties to a member of the prominent and wealthy San Tekka family, Jordanna Sparkburn. The San Tekka made their money as hyperspace prospectors, essentially looking for “highways” that could be safely traveled through hyperspace. Vernestra's connections to the San Tekka family would later elucidate her mysterious Force powers.
Vernestra's powers, abilities and lightsaber explained
Vernestra has special Force abilities that allow her to see “streets” in hyperspace. He can also see visions of events taking place in other parts of the galaxy. Because of this, he can navigate a ship manually while in hyperspace without setting coordinates. In the Out of the shadows novel, Vernestra had hyperspatial visions of a lost member of the San Tekka clan, Mari San Tekka, who possessed similar hyperspatial abilities.
Through a series of visions, Mari San Tekka instructed Vern on how to use his mysterious Force abilities. This eventually led to Vernestra where the elder San Tekka was held captive by the Nihil. Although Stellan Gios had encouraged Vernestra to develop her unique Force abilities, she had been reluctant to do so. But after learning from Mari San Tekka, Vernestra became more welcoming of her strange abilities.
As mentioned above, Vernestra Rwoh has a unique purple lightsaber War of the galaxies universe It can be transformed into a light whip by turning a bevel on the handle. Vernestra uses her saber as a light whip, especially when fighting in close quarters or sustaining intense blaster fire. He can swing his whip at such a speed that it acts as a shield against blasters.
So far, we've only seen Vernestra Rwoh as a young Jedi Knight in the High Republic books and comics. Considering she's a Jedi Master the acolyte and with a completely new look, there's a lot more to his story that we haven't seen yet. Did he ever face another Padawan after Imri Cantaros? What became of his friendship with Jordanna Sparkburn, Avon Starros and Sylvestri Yarrow? the acolyte It may not answer all of these questions, but hopefully it will build on everything we already know about Vernestra Rwoh.
