12 Things 'Star Wars' Fans Probably Don't Know About Jedi Master Luminara Unduli
- 1124 VOTES
She Hailed From The Planet Mirial
Unduli was a Mirialan woman who hailed from the planet Mirial, and while she had a light green skin color, her people's skin color range from green to yellow and pink to purple. Like other Mirialans, Unduli had traditional black geometric tattoos on her face. These signify personal achievements throughout a person's life, and they can be placed anywhere on the face.
Interestingly, through an agreement worked out between the people of Mirial and the Jedi Order, Force-sensitive Mirialans who were taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for training could only be trained by another Mirialan. While this was the common practice, it wasn't always followed. Jedi Master Mace Windu was trained by Jedi Master Cyslin Myr despite the latter's lineage and tradition.
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She Was A Master Of Form III
You might think every Jedi trains to wield a lightsaber in the same way, but that's not how things work in the Star Wars universe. There are eight different styles or forms of lightsaber combat a Jedi can study and master, and when a Padawan begins their training, they tend to follow in their master's footsteps, learning the same form they employ. This makes sense since their masters are the ones training them, but it's not necessarily a rule, so some Jedi learn and master any of the eight forms.
Jedi Master Unduli studied and mastered Form III, which is more commonly known as Soresu. It is also called the Resilience Form and focuses more on defense than attack. Soresu is the form favored by most Jedi, and several notable characters have mastered it, including Kanan Jarrus and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Unduli was a true master of Soresu, and while she wasn't prepared for her fight against Asajj Ventress, she was able to keep up with her while one of her eyes was impaired.
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Despite Appearing In Two Prequel Films, Her First Lines Were Heard In ‘The Rise of Skywalker’
When Unduli was first introduced in Attack of the Clones, she appeared formidable. She fought during the Battle of Geonosis and managed to do well, but she didn't have much to say. Actually, she didn't say anything at all, but that's okay because she came back again in Revenge of the Sith! Unfortunately, she didn't have anything to say in that movie either. In the first film, she was portrayed by Mary Oyaya, and in the second, Fay David took over acting duties, but they didn't have any lines.
The Jedi Master had plenty of lines in The Clone Wars, and Olivia d'Abo voiced her throughout the series. Still, Unduli hadn't spoken a word in any of her live-action appearances, and when her voice was finally heard in a live-action movie, that was it. No actor took up the part to play her visually because she was one of the many Jedi voices Rey Skywalker heard as she looked up to the sky, saying, "Be with me." Unduli was one of the Jedi who spoke to her, and her voice was provided by d'Abo, who said, "The light. Find the light, Rey."
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In Addition To Her Skill With A Lightsaber, She Was Proficient In Hand-To-Hand Combat
Photo: Star Wars: The Clone Wars / LucasfilmAll Jedi are trained to fight with a lightsaber, but that's not their only means of attack. They can also use the Force to augment their actions in a number of ways, which often makes them incredible hand-to-hand combatants. Unduli was no exception to this, and she demonstrated her fighting skills without a lightsaber on a number of occasions.
In the Clone Wars episode "Legacy of Terror," Unduli was one of the Jedi searching Geonosis for the Separatist leader Poggle the Lesser to bring him to justice. At one point, she was disarmed and captured by Geonosian warriors - undead Geonosian warriors. She managed to put up a serious fight without her weapon and while wearing handcuffs despite being severely outnumbered.
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She And Her Padawan Defended Ilum From A Separatist Assault In The 2003 'Clone Wars' Series
Shortly after the prequel films were released, several comic book series, video games, and cartoons delved deeper into the characters and events surrounding what was happening in the live-action films. Unfortunately, most of those projects have been relegated to the realm of Star Wars Legends, including the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which appeared on Cartoon Network. In one of the episodes, titled "Chapter 14," a great deal of time is given to Unduli and her Padawan.
In the episode, chameleon droids plant explosives on the planet of Ilum, where Jedi have sourced the kyber crystals at the heart of their lightsabers for a millennium. Jedi Master Unduli and Barriss Offee are on the planet and must stop the assault on the sacred world. It's unfortunate the episode (and the series) are no longer considered canon because it delves into the personalities of both Jedi, showing quite a lot about them. In addition, it begins with the construction of Offee's first lightsaber and features the following ritualistic incantation:
The crystal is the heart of the blade.
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
The Force is the blade of the heart.
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In Legends, She Met Her Demise During Order 66
Photo: Dark Horse ComicsWhen Emperor Palpatine told his clone commanders to "execute Order 66," all of his scheming and planning for decades finally came to fruition. He destroyed the Jedi Order, and the movie showed the demise of many Jedi spread across the galaxy. One of the Jedi whose demise wasn't shown was Unduli's, which left fans to speculate about what happened to her. Ultimately, her fate is revealed in The Clone Wars, which shows she was imprisoned and later executed. Her cadaver was used to lure hopeful Jedi to the Spire, but her demise wasn't shown.
Though it's now a part of Star Wars Legends and no longer canon, her passing was depicted in the Dark Horse Comics series Star Wars: Republic. In the series' penultimate issue (#82), she is seen walking with her clone troopers when one of them standing behind her says, "Order 66. Execute." A puzzled look is all the Jedi Master can manage before she's gunned down in cold blood by the men she'd been fighting alongside only moments earlier. That depiction is more in line with how other Jedi were executed, so it was the most plausible for a long time.
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Her Skills As A Teacher Were Lauded By Many Jedi
While all Jedi Masters are certainly powerful beings, that doesn't mean they are especially good teachers. Qui-Gon Jinn, for example, bucked the traditions of the Jedi Order and barely taught his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, how to use a lightsaber. He showed him the basics but left it to the young Jedi to learn the form that suited him best. That's not to say Jinn didn't teach his Padawan well, but he didn't exactly meet the boy's expectations.
Some Jedi were simply better at teaching the next generation than others, and Unduli was widely recognized as one of the best in the Jedi Order. Even after the fall of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, she was still sought out as a potential teacher for Ezra Bridger. It's possible that is one of the reasons the Empire chose her to become the bait in their trap to lure unsuspecting Jedi - they knew of her renown as a teacher and thought it best to bring in young Jedi hopefuls looking for a teacher.
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Her Cadaver Was Used To Lure Jedi To Their Doom After Order 66
Photo: Star Wars Rebels/Disney XDUnduli commanded the 41st Elite Corps of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars, and she took part in the final battle on Kashyyyk. Though she survived the Battle of Kashyyyk, she was taken prisoner and executed following the execution of Order 66. Unduli's demise came at a time of great confusion, as the Great Jedi Purge managed to sow disorder and chaos throughout the galaxy. As a result, rumors of her survival persisted for years.
She was deceased, but that didn't stop the Empire from using her cadaver to its advantage. Her remains were placed inside the Spire as a trap to lure Jedi who survived Order 66 to their doom. One such trap was laid for Kanan Jarrus, who sought the Jedi Master to train Ezra Bridger in the ways of the Force. The trap was set by the Inquisitor and sprung by the young Rebels who escaped. Jarrus then spread the word of Unduli's demise to thwart future efforts to use her remains as bait for surviving Jedi.
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She Was Originally Intended To Perish At The End Of 'Revenge of the Sith'
While Jedi Master Unduli wasn't seen being slain at the end of Revenge of the Sith after Palpatine issued the execution of Order 66, she was meant to perish. At the time, she was commanding the 41st Elite Corps in the Battle of Kashyyyk - a battle she spent months preparing to fight. She served alongside Master Yoda during the conflict, but when the order was given, he managed to survive while she didn't.
The original plan for her character was to show her demise when the clone troopers turned against her. Ultimately, this sequence (and several others) were cut from the final production of the movie, so her passing was never shown. This turned out to be a good thing for the character, at least in terms of storytelling. By keeping her demise from being seen, she was able to be used in Star Wars Rebels as a trap, which ultimately led Kanan Jarrus to decide he must train Ezra Bridger. Had Unduli been slain, that storyline may never have happened.
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She Fought Asajj Ventress
Unduli fought in many battles throughout her life in the Jedi Order, but she wasn't shown to engage in many fights where she's not a part of a larger force. That changed in the Clone Wars episode "Cloak of Darkness" because she finds herself facing off with none other than Assajj Ventress. In the episode, Ahsoka Tano warns the Jedi Master not to face Ventress alone, saying Ventress is "too powerful for any one Jedi." Ultimately, Unduli disregards the young Padawan's words, which she'd later regret.
Her fight with Ventress is brutal, and the Sith assassin nearly ends her. Ventress manages to get the upper hand and before she could deliver a fatal blow, Tano abruptly appears (after disobeying Unduli's order to remain where she was). She manages to join the fight, and in the end, Ventress is defeated. Of course, Ventress does escape, as she's wont to do, but the fight is significant. When it's all over, Unduli tells Tano, "This assassin, I've... I've never faced an adversary like her. I should have listened to your advice."
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She Was The Master Of Padawan Barriss Offee
Throughout her time as a member of the Jedi Order, Unduli worked with two Padawans. It is unclear who her first Padawan was, but her second and last was Barriss Offee. Like Unduli, Offee hailed from Mirial, which made Unduli the best Jedi Master to train her. Offee was around the same age as Ahsoka Tano, the Padawan who trained under Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. The two became friends, and they both engaged in various military actions during the Clone Wars.
This was something Offee wasn't too happy about, as she believed the Jedi Order had lost its way and was straying from its ideals by getting involved in the conflict. She orchestrated a bombing of the Jedi Temple to instill distrust in the Jedi, and she framed Tano in the act. Ultimately, Skywalker proved Offee was the perpetrator, ensuring Tano wouldn't be held responsible for the assault. The whole affair left Tano with a great feeling of anger toward the Jedi Order, so she left it behind as a result of Offee's actions.
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She Was Instrumental In The Destruction Of Droid Foundries On Geonosis
Unduliwas one of the Jedi who was instrumental in bringing about the fall of Geonosis by going after the droid foundry that was churning out combatants of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Those droids were fueling the war effort on the part of the Separatists, and the Republic deemed it a high-value target. Unduli travels to the planet to help Jedi Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Clone Wars episode "Legacy of Terror."
Their primary target was Poggle the Lesser's new droid foundry, but it wasn't what you might call a simple or easy mission. Poggle the Lesser deployed a massive force of B1-series battle droids and super tanks against the Republic's troops of the 501st Legion and the 41st Elite Corps. Luminara and Barriss Offee managed to plant incendiary devices in key locations by sneaking in through the catacombs, but a super tank stopped them. They managed to take out the drivers and commandeer the armored behemoth, which they then used to wipe out the entire facility.
