Vernestra Rwoh, Jedi Knight
Vernestra Rwoh may be in The Acolyte, but her story started much earlier.
Of the many original characters first introduced to Star Wars readers throughout The High Republic multimedia project so far, Vernestra Rwoh is proving to be one of the most interesting to follow. She goes from Jedi Knight to Wayseeker, back to being a Jedi and, eventually, becomes a leader within the Jedi Order. She has a unique weapon – it’s so much more than a purple lightsaber – and she’s not afraid to confront her superiors about their mistakes.
She’s young, but she’s fierce. She also possesses some unusual abilities even for a Jedi, such as being able to navigate ships using nothing but the Force.
Vernestra’s journey began at the launch of The High Republic initiative on January 5, 2021 in Justina Ireland’s A Test of Courage. The character has since appeared in over a dozen Star Wars books and comics, and is set to make her on-screen debut in The Acolyte on Disney+.
(If you haven’t read A Test of Courage, but you want more backstory on Vernestra, I highly recommend giving the book a try. There’s an audiobook, too, if you’re into that. You don’t need to have read the book to watch the new show, but it’s possible the show will spark your curiosity.)
There are many things about Vernestra that have drawn audiences to her since her Star Wars Canon debut. She uses a lightwhip. She doesn’t always do the right thing in the moment (but is always willing to learn from her mistakes and grow). She’s asexual and aromantic (Justina Ireland confirmed it, it’s real). She’s been good at what she does from a very young age, but she still doubts and questions herself. She’s as much a real person as any fictional character from Star Wars can be. She’s relatable. As much as anyone who can navigate hyperspace with their eyes closed can be.
And these are often the kinds of characters that draw Star Wars readers in. Characters who are not perfect, no matter how good they might be at using a lightsaber or sensing danger. Characters who are still trying to figure out their place in the world, even when one has seemingly already been carved out for them. THIS is why books for younger readers are so important – Vernestra appears in adult novels and comics too, but there’s a reason her story starts in a middle-grade book. Young people deserve to feel seen in books prominently featuring characters living their experiences too, even in Star Wars.
The High Republic is doing a great job of including these experiences in its stories. What makes Vernestra special is that she is an exceptionally gifted and talented individual who constantly finds herself surrounded by others quite close to her age who she’s expected to watch over and mentor. She had such a good role model in Stellan Gios that she knows, even at sixteen, how important it is for people like Avon and Imri to have someone to look up to. This is why she carries so much guilt when the world around her literally starts to fall apart. She doesn’t want to let anyone down. As a Jedi Knight, she so often already probably feels she has.
Imagine the intensity of the pressure that must come with being one of the youngest in the Jedi Order ever to be knighted and feeling you had to constantly prove that you earned it. What’s saddest about this is that Vernestra is a Mirialin, and a Jedi, meaning she would go on to live for over 100 years. She didn’t need to be pushed to achieve so much at such a young age, and her master and the council likely didn’t intend to encourage her to pursue too much too quickly. She had her whole life to explore the galaxy, and the Force. Perhaps later in life having done so much so early proved worthwhile, but still.
Speaking of her master, Stellan Gios’ training of Vernestra is a perfect example of how different the Jedi treated Padawans in the era of The High Republic than they do by the time Anakin Skywalker starts his training in the later days of the Galactic Republic. Stellan encourages Vernestra to explore her unique abilities in the Force rather than discouraging her from straying from a carved-out path. This ends up serving Vernestra well as the Nihil threat worsens. After the fall of Starlight Beacon, she goes off on her own to deal with her grief the way she needs to deal with it. She knows distancing herself from the Jedi, even if only temporarily, will strengthen her in the long term rather than leave her at a disadvantage.
One of the many benefits of getting a Star Wars book series that follows a set of characters over a longer period of time is that we get to watch them grow, and learn, and change, and grow some more. Vernestra is 16 when The High Republic starts. What were you doing at 16? Hopefully not preparing to fight a war. But battles take many forms. Sometimes it’s difficult to measure growth when you’re young, but Vernestra’s journey proves how much can change when you face fear head-on and refuse to let it break your spirit.
Because she very easily could have given up. Many could have, after Starlight Beacon was lost. But this is one of the most important takeaways from Star Wars for me: It’s when all hope seems lost that we must seek it out more relentlessly. It’s part of the journey of a hero (whether a hero of your own story or someone else’s) to be given every reason to walk away from life’s greatest challenges forever but somehow finding your way back to face them anyway.
Now, when we hear the name Vernestar Rwoh, we are inclined to think of the losses that could have shattered us, but didn’t. The battles that may have scarred us, but did not ultimately defeat us. The challenges that could have ended us, but instead made us stronger, and better prepared us for whatever the future might hold for us.
We know now that, eventually, Vernestra is granted the rank of Master and goes on to face more battles far beyond the conquests of the Nihil. But The High Republic era is not over yet. There’s still a lot we don’t know about Vernestra’s journey. There’s a lot to look forward to. It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan.
If you want to learn more about Vernestra Rwoh, I highly recommend exploring The High Republic books in order. There’s no rush to read them, and the stories are worth your time. If you want more character deep dives like this one, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
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