What's up with Depa Billaba?

I was always more interested in Yaddle than Depa.

 

Especially now that the old EU is non canon that means that Yaddle and Yearal Poof just vanished, oh well personal canons are a thing for a reason.

 

I'm interested in all the Jedi who have not received the attention they deserve. Perhaps to an obsessive degree.
My Favorites:
Colman Kcajj
Oppo Rancisis
Yaddle
Yareal Poof
Stass Allie
Agen Kolar
Jocasta Nu
Sasee Tiin
Syfo Dias
Depa Billba: And I'm Still Waiting one her proper action figure!
Even Piell --- At least these ones got some love in TCW, though not much.
Adi Gallia ---
Eeth Koth ---

And Lets not forget these councilors who I would be very greatful to return to canon in some way or another:
Micah Giett
Tyvokka
Omo Bouri
Fae Coven
Thame Cerulian

So many Jedi not enough love to go around!!!


Thame Ceuline

 

I think I know why Depa Billaba was picked to be Kanan's teacher...because she was Windu's Padawan. Think about it because we have a Jedi line that is already well known. Yoda->Dooku->Qui-Gon->Obi-Wan->Anakin->Ahsoka. See one prominent Jedi in the Rise of the Empire era missing there? That's right, Mace. On top of it all, I don't like that Depa was still in a coma, but now for a different reason. Why try to respect the Legends material if you are just going to half-do a character arc?
I wholeheartedly agree that Coleman Kcaj should have been Kanan's master. It just boggles my mind with how expansive of a universe that Star Wars is that we know virtually nothing about a Jedi High Council member. Maybe Kcaj was killed by Darth Vader in the Jedi Temple or afterwards. or maybe he was killed by a team of Inquisitors. Regardless, we don't know.

 

I don't know. I'll go and ask her.

 

My theory is that nobody wants to use Coleman Kcaj because nobody is sure how his last name is supposed to be pronounced.

He was much cooler when his original name was Sweitt Concorkill!

 

I've not read the comic, but I thought it was alluded to that she did go through a dark period, so I would assume she was asked to resign from the council/voluntarily stepped down/forced out.

We know Sifo-Dyas was kicked out for his extreme views.

In the final arc of TCW, Yoda views himself as having mastered his emotions, and implies this is a part of being a Jedi Master. If Depa was struggling with the Dark Side for a bit, I'd imagine that's cause enough to justify her removal from the council.

Another thing I've noticed is that no Jedi Council members have padawans that we know of while sitting on the council. Perhaps being a council member is considered too much of a priority to balance with training a student. When she took Kanan as an apprentice, perhaps she had to step down to do so?

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Hasn't really stopped anyone before, especially in the novels and comics.

 

Interesting point about Council members and Padawans - I know in the old EU we had a couple of examples (Mace -> Depa, Plo Koon -> Bultar Swan, etc) but none during the Clone Wars I believe.

It makes sense that - during the war at least - Council members wouldn't be expected to take on apprentices whilst also having to bear responsibility for conducting a galactic war.

The theory even holds up when looking at canon depictions like Kit Fisto and Nahdar Vebb - it's made clear that Kit was never able to complete Vebb's training himself, with his duties in the GAR being implied as the reason. The only canon example I can think that flies against it is that Ahsoka was originally intended to be Obi-Wan's apprentice in-show...but hey, maybe this was the reason Yoda swapped her to Anakin at the last minute?

 

Major difference is she did not go through a Dark Side phase nor did she go insane, she was just in a coma for around 6 months following a Clone Wars battle against Grievous, the Clones Wars lasted around 3 years. She also passed her reassessment test following some hesitation and caution about putting her back in the field so soon and even back on the Council. She then went back on the Council soon as she passed. Plus she had all that time between TPM and AOTC. Caleb becomes her padawan kinda late and during the later part of the Clone Wars. I don't see any reconciliation between her Legends storyline and what is found SW:Kanan or scattered elsewhere in current canon. I don't really know about the collective wisdom of the Jedi Council as they're kinda messed up and even suspected Yoda of being a Sith or aligned with the Dark Side, and they were quick to toss Ahsoka to the firing squad to be tried in a mock trial . Even Plo failed her there. Then we have their actions in Dark Disciple. All the Jedi though are in some manner corrupt following their narrative, even Yoda's Dark Side would not be apparently purged until the very end and towards his last two decades of his life.

Sifo-Dyas was removed before the events of TPM because they scoffed at the very notion of what he suggested and attempted to silence him, and died shortly after the invasion of Naboo. Apparently Count Dooku was already under Darth Sidious' command. Dyas seems more akin to Jinn, who was more independent or individualist and even roguis rather than collectivist like the rest of the Jedi. But its very unclear why didnt Dyas seek out Jinn and its also unclear why Jinn or even Yoda did not suspect Dooku who apparently was still a member of the Jedi Order during TPM and before.

 

I don't think any complicated explanation is necessary to justify Depa not being on the council. We know Sifo-Dyas was kicked off the council, and I think he's the only canon example of someone being removed/stepping down under known circumstances.

Yaddle and Yarael Poof were gone before the war, and it generally was assumed they must be dead, but I know Filoni joking about how the idea was pit forth of making Yaddle the Temple bomber. I think the idea was put out there, but just not taken seriously.

But even so, that might mean that she was not necessarily dead.

I know in the EU there were terms. I'm not sure if such an idea has been reestablished in canon. Because 13+ years seems like a long term.

But maybe Jedi would step down for personal reasons. Or perhaps to take apprentices. That would probably be a question for Pablo.

With the EU slate being wiped clean, there's a lot less information to go on, and it will probably take some time to get all these details.



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Well Jedi apparently can leave the Order and even Council under their own accord. Yaddle just stepped down as a few others did, but they can apparently return or request it. It does not appear to be a position for life for most of them. We did see the Council conspire and majority regulate Yoda and house arrest him even. So I don't think what they do is really that strange, a Jedi being passive and emotionless would likely just accept the will of the Council. We really have no idea what Dyas felt, we can only assume he was angry, bitter and impulsive like Jinn or Anakin as examples - but if thats the case he may of too fallen to the Dark Side or the fact he too had to have been corrupted by the Sith Shrine's power like all the other Jedi regardless. The Supreme Chancellor apparently also had the power to place a Jedi of his own choosing upon the Council but it was apparently also unheard of or never used in the history of the Order as was the appointment of a Knight rather than Master which further fueled Anakin anger with the Jedi as he was never granted the rank of Master despite all that he had done.

Fairest answer for Depa, is they leave that open to the imagination of the fan I suppose. They like some truth in legends stuff, as they've always taken from the EU when they liked, as a mine of ideas and inspiration or when they have writers block. I don't think Lucas wanted anyone other than him tackling Yoda or Yoda's species - so Yaddle was probably never on the table . She was a character that you'd like to know more of also because of Yoda and his species.

Speaking of Dyas, I would've like to have seen the Jungle Felucians of TFU canonized, they were mentioned in his storyline in Season 6.

 

I was always a fan of Depa and I was happy they brought her back and also glad they kept Mace Windu as her Master.

 

It does make out for a good story as to what happened to her. For a backstory to be released that she held the same ideals as Dyas and Jinn but could not speak up like them but later left due to conflict with the war would make sense. I would say she left eventually to train Kanan and her term was up.

I wouldn't mind learning more of her and her skills with a lightsaber. I agree she does deserve a better action figure.
I should read the comic, but seems there isnt much there either.

 

Has it been confirmed in the New Canon that Windu was still her master? I mean, I can't see any reason to change it (and I like the whole 'second Jedi dynasty' thing with Mace->Depa->Kanan->Ezra to complement Yoda->Dooku->Qui-Gon->Obi-Wan->Anakin) but I didn't know it had been explicitly confirmed yet.

 

Wasn't Depa chosen to link Kanan to the PT?

 

Yes, he's still her master and her fateful Clone Wars battle that left her in a coma took place on Haruun Kal, Windu's homeworld. They kept most of her details the same, just tweaked it a bit.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Depa_Billaba

 

so basically, anyone on the council can have a padawan. micah giiett had a padawan when he was serving, bultar swan- who was later trained by council member plo koon when giiett died. adi gallia had at least one padawan in the 30 odd years she was on the council - siri tachi and before then, possibly her niece stass allie (said on the cardback of tlc stass allie figure). mundi was training a'sharad hett for a time while on council, before then eeth koth was training hett's father, sharad hett while serving in his first decade or so on the council. shaak ti, yaddle, piell, poof and rancisis also certainly had padawans and we know tyvokka and omo bouri apprenticed plo koon and saesee tiin while they were council members in the 90s and 80s bby.
so therefore its completely possible for council members to serve while training padawans. council members only need to attend meetings and go on missions, missions they go on can easily accommodate their padawans.

i really want to see these jedi updated as figures -14 poa, softgoods, the works..
yarael poof,
yaddle,
even piell,
depa billaba,
adi gallia,
eeth koth,
oppo rancisis,
shaak ti,
sifo dyas,
ki-adi mundi,
saesee tiin,
stass allie

 

^But all of that is still legends, for now. I hope the characters at least become canon, but they haven't yet.

 

The only member we know of having a padawan while, being on the council is Deepa

 

We can't even be sure she was an active council member during Calebs training can we?
We know he referred to her as a member of the council just prior to the implementation of order 66, but that raises the whole '13 members during episode III' question.
My favorite theory has been that 'Jedi Councilor' is a lifelong title even after they step down like the US presidents.
She steps down to train Caleb, Anakin takes her seat, the council is back to 12 members.

I just prefer it to the whole 'Anakin as the unofficial 13th member' theory.
And it will work until we get an official explanation for the discrepancy.

 

No wonder the order fell they had 13 high council members!

 

I feel bad for that guy Both Legends and canon what noting to do with him both never answered are questions if he's a puppet or real? I guess some answers are left not open

 

This would make a great spin off Star Wars movie. Depa & Kanan on that fateful last mission. Maybe Depa gets some camera time in TCW now.

 

We already got that story in the Kanan comic series.