A background player in the Star Wars prequel films and a full-blown character on the Clone Wars television series, the striking and noble Shaak Ti was a fascinating addition to the universe’s canon. A member of the Togruta race, Shaak-Ti became a high-ranking member of the Jedi Council during the final years of the crumbling Galactic Republic and was elevated to General, personally overseeing the training of clone troops. Though barely featured in Episode II: Attack of The Clones, Shaak-Ti was one of the few Jedi to survive the Battle of Geonosis and became a central fixture of the Clone Wars TV Series, which chronicled her involvement in the galactic struggle up until her death at the hands of Anakin Skywalker. A devoted believer in the Jedi way, she was regarded as wise and patient. Below are ten facts about the powerful Force-user.
She Isn't A Twi’lek
Ti was a Togruta, a humanoid species hailing from the planet Shili whose most recognizable feature is their striking and prominent head cones. Though they may look a bit like the head tails of the Twi’lek, the two species are not at all related. Known as Montrals, these hornlike appendages begin as tiny bumps during infancy and grow to a large size as Togrutas reach maturity. Hollow inside, Montrals are used for echolocation, which can reach up to eighty-five feet away. With this inborn ability to sense movement combined with a predisposition to Force sensitivity, Togrutas like Shaak-Ti ideal candidates for the Jedi Order, and Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's Padawan, is also a member of the species. Typical features included dark grey/blue eyes and red skin with white markings and gray stripes.
Her Species Is Misunderstood
Being a Togruta, Ti had a taste for Thimiar. This is a rodent that is eaten alive on Shili, which spasms violently as it expires. This brutal dining practice gave rise to the persistent rumor that the Togruta have poisonous teeth that can paralyze with one bite, a misunderstanding that many Togruta regard as an ignorant and offensive stereotype.
Her Headdress Isn't Just For Decoration
Jedi Master Shaak-Ti sported ornamentation upon her forehead that was a symbol of strength deeply connected her to her homeworld. The glittering headdress featured precious stones, pearls, and the teeth of a massive quadruped known as the Akul that rambles across the grasslands of Shili. These beasts have been hunted by the Togruta for millennia to prove their prowess as warriors, and only the strongest can slay them. Ti wore the teeth proudly upon her head as a sign that she was a fearsome opponent and wasn’t to be trifled with.
She Sat On The Jedi Council
An active and valued member of the Jedi Order, Shaak-Ti was awarded a seat on the Jedi High Council just after the Battle of Naboo. She occupied the seat that was vacated when Master Yaddle stepped down.
She Trained Clone Warriors
During the Clone Wars, Ti was both a general and personally supervised the development and training of soldiers on Kamino. In this, she was assisted by tough bounty hunters Master Chief Bric and El-Les who were her advisers and helped get the clones in fighting shape. During this time, she was embroiled in a conspiracy concerning the mysterious behavior of the Kaminoans in regard to the clones and the inhibitor chips which were implanted in each.
She Inspired Greatness In Her Charges
One of Ti’s ultimate triumphs was the training and elevation of a clone group known as “Domino Squad” during her time as general. Though they were declared ineffective during exercises by Bric and El-Les, Ti refused to quit on them, even at the behest of her cohorts and the Kaminoan top brass. By instilling in them a group mentality, telling them to think of themselves as a unit rather than individuals, Shaak-Ti lead Domino Squad to victory, promoting them into the Grand Army of the Republic.
She Was A Fierce Protector of Individual Rights
Unlike the Kaminoans who treated the clones they had created as property, Shaak-Ti was a born teacher and caretaker who valued their lives and was empathetic to them as individual people. Though this often led to conflict with the Kaminoans, she had no scruples about opposing their methods and treatment and would often claim superior authority over them to prevent the harsh punishment and termination of her troops. The Kaminoans, of course, viewed both Ti and the Jedi as a whole as foolish, believing their compassion to be of negative influence to the soldiers.
She Had Specialized Skills
Shaak-Ti was highly skilled in the art of telekinesis and used it to get out of many scrapes, specifically The Battle Of Geonosis where she triumphed as nearly 200 of her comrades fell. She was also adept at dual-wielding melee weapons, a skill she displayed during the Battle of Coruscant. Her telekinetic powers, combined with the heightened perception afforded by her Montrals, made Ti an imposing adversary.
She's Been Killed Off Multiple Times
Though Ti’s death has been depicted multiple times and in different ways in films, games, and on TV, canon says that she was slain while meditating during Anakin Skywalker’s massacre of the Jedi Temple. This moment is given credence by The Clone Wars TV Series, where Yoda sees her cut down in a vision depicting the aftermath of Order 66.
Her Influence Has Been Felt Beyond Her Death
Ti’s death, however, was not her last appearance. Just after the Battle of Fortress, Anakin Skywalker—now Darth Vader—entered a portal built by Lord Momin to resurrect his wife, Padmé Amidala. During his journey through the portal, he experienced many illusions, including one where a large group of Jedi, both dead and alive, confronted him for the wrongs he had done and the lives he had destroyed. Shaak-Ti was among this group. Vader, angered by this confrontation, destroyed the specters and impaled her as the words “Let the past die” rang through his mind. Decades after the execution of Order 66 and the Great Jedi Purge, a holocron recording was found by Luke Skywalker in Grakkus the Hutt’s store of ancient Jedi bric-a-brac. Through it, he witnessed her final message, which implored the viewer to keep the memory of the Jedi Order alive, saying: "Whoever is seeing this… it's up to you now. Don't let our deaths have been in vain. Don't let this be the end of the Jedi."