Order 66, otherwise known as the Great Jedi Purge, is one of the darkest events inStar Warshistory. It brought about the slaughter of thousands of Jedi across the galaxy, most of whom were killed within the first few minutes afterEmperor Palpatine executed Order 66. However, as much as he may have tried, Palpatine didn’t get all the Jedi, as a number of them survived the Great Jedi Purge only to become a problem for him and the Sith as a whole later down the line - especially inStar Wars Legends.
InStar Wars: Legacy#25 by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, readers are introduced to asurvivor of Order 66who went on to become a member of the Jedi High Council of the New Jedi Order: T’ra Saa. This Jedi belongs to a species with incredibly long life-spans, who look like they’re human/tree hybrids. Because of her biology, T’ra Saa can ‘take root’ in any given location, which allows her to reach a level of meditation and connectedness to the Force that few Jedi could achieve.
However, it’s not her ability to connect with the Force that makes her such a standout Jedi Master, but the fact that she’s been a Jedi through some of the darkest years of the Order’s history, and is now working to shape its future. T’ra Saa is old and wise, and a great deal of her wisdom comes from combat, survival, and war. First and foremost, T’ra Saa is awarrior who fought in the Clone Wars, survived Order 66, endured the Empire, and came out the other side as an integral part of the Jedi’s future.
Jedi Master T’ra Saa’s Mere Survival Undermines Palpatine’s Order 66 ‘Victory’
T’ra Saa Became Stronger After Order 66, & Her Strength is Indicative of the Entire Jedi Order
Jedi Master T’ra Saa became stronger as a result of Palpatine’s Order 66 ‘victory’, and she is using her strength and resilience to shape the Jedi Order ofStar Wars’ future (Star Wars: Legacytakes place in 137 ABY, and is the furthest in the future aStar Warsstory has ever taken place). In terms of chronology, T’ra Saa is a ‘current’ leading Jedi Master on the High Council, meaning her leadership is, indeed, shapingStar Wars’ future for the Jedi Order. And, upon seeing her inStar Wars: Legacy, it’s clear that T’ra Saa is doing just that.
But, beyond that, T’ra Saa’s mere survival undermines Emperor Palpatine’s bloody Jedi ambush that took place upon the execution of Order 66. Emperor Palpatine meant to snuff out the Jedi forever, either by killing them outright with the mind-controlled Clone Troopers, or by scaring them into hiding forever, all while he and his Sith-ruled Empire reshaped the galaxy to his liking for years and years to come. But, T’ra Saa is a living example of what Emperor Palpatine didn’t want to happen following the Great Jedi Purge, as she represents the everlasting strength and resilience of the Jedi Order.
T’ra Saa Isn’t the Only Order 66 Survivor to Undermine Palpatine in Star Wars Legends
Emperor Palpatine’s Ultimate Demise is at the Hand of an Order 66 Survivor
T’ra Saa’s story may represent the best of the Jedi in the face of overwhelming darkness, but she certainly isn’t the only Order 66 survivor who would become a thorn in Palpatine’s side inLegendscontinuity. Another Order 66 survivor named Empatojayos Brand was introduced inStar Wars Legends’ Dark Empire Trilogy.Brand aligned himself with Luke, Leia, and Han after the Emperor returned from the grave. During their final confrontation with the Emperor, when Palpatine tries to transfer his essence into the infant Anakin Solo, Brand intercepted Palpatine’s spirit and took it into his own body instead.
After Brand allowed himself to be possessed by Emperor Palpatine’s disembodied spirit, the Jedi hero sacrificed his life to ensure the Emperor could never return to wreak havoc upon the galaxy far, far away ever again. And, in Legends continuity, that’s the last anyone has seen of Emperor Palpatine, meaning Brand’s sacrifice was not in vain. But more than that, Brand single-handedly avenged every single Jedi who was killed during Order 66, as he survived the Great Jedi Purge seemingly with the cosmic purpose of being the one to beat Palpatine once and for all.
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While Jedi Master T’ra Saa didn’t have a hand in defeating Emperor Palpatine like her fellow Order 66 survivor, Brand, did, she arguably plays an even greater role in the Jedi’s vengeance against the Sith. T’ra Saa survived Order 66 not to avenge the past, but to reshape the future. She lives to prove that the Jedi will always live, no matter how seemingly thoroughly they’re destroyed. Therefore, this single Jedi’s survival utterly undermined arguably the bloodiest ambush against the Jedi inStar Warshistory, proving that Order 66 ultimately failed.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
