Shalla Ro was an Evereni female of the Ro family who led the Nihil pirate group as the Eye of the Nihil during the High Republic Era. She was the daughter of the Nihil's founder, and had a son named Asgar Ro with an Evereni male. Asgar later fathered his own son, Marchion. Shalla believed that the Nihil should be careful about their expansion, and she used strategy and caution while leading the Nihil. She thought that Marchion represented the metaphorical "tip" of the blade of Evereni survival who would fight the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order, achieving vengeance for the Ros. Shalla's cautious approach brought her into conflict with Asgar, who believed that the Nihil should expand faster. In 252 BBY, Asgar killed Shalla over their differing opinions and took the title of Eye for himself.
Shalla Ro was an Evereni woman who lived during the High Republic Era and was the daughter of an Evereni woman who created the Nihil pirate group. At some point, Marda Ro, Shalla's grandmother, created a recording for her descendants, including Shalla, about a portion of Marda's life. Herself a member of the Nihil, Tempest Runner Kassav Milliko, stated that the Nihil had a "history" with her. At some point, she had a son named Asgar with an Evereni male. Asgar went on to have his own son, Marchion Ro. Just as Shalla had been taught by her grandmother, she taught Marchion that Jedi could not be imprisoned by bars, but instead by inflicted pain on them. Mari San Tekka, a Force-sensitive hyperspace prospector with the ability to locate unconventional hyperspace routes known as "Paths," who was held captive by the Ro family, was asked many times by Shalla to explain her abilities to her, but San Tekka could not clearly explain it. Due to her desire for caution with regard to Nihil expansion, Ro hesitated to overuse San Tekka's abilities. During Marchion's childhood, Shalla and Asgar told Marchion stories about Planet X, the homeworld of the Nameless creatures.
In 252 BBY, Shalla led the Nihil, holding the title of Eye of the Nihil. That year, she and Asgar had a discussion about the future of the Nihil aboard their flagship, the Gaze Electric. Shalla stated that all the Evereni who survived under persecution were like blades and Marchion was akin to the blade's point. She admired that Marchion had gravitated to San Tekka and had befriended her, which would allow Marchion to use her in the future. Shalla further stated that Marchion would eventually have to battle mightily with the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order, and that Asgar would need to instruct him to continue to "sharpen" him.
Asgar argues with Shalla Ro.
In response, Asgar stated that the Nihil needed to be more active and needed to act soon, as San Tekka was more than a century old. Asgar further stated that Marda would not have let the Nihil sit idle for long. Shalla responded that, unlike Asgar, she had seen what the Jedi could do and that the Nihil would continue to be patient. Shalla then suggested that Asgar go out into the galaxy, like his father and grandfather before him, and start getting kills, to which Asgar expressed his assent. Thinking he would make a more decisive and better leader of the Nihil than Shalla, Asgar responded by pushing Shalla over a railing, causing her to fall and die on impact with the floor.
Marchion Ro battled against the Jedi and Republic just as Shalla had predicted.
Following Shalla's death, Asgar departed the Gaze Electric in a smaller starship. Nihil Tempest Runner Pan Eyta, thinking that it was in fact Shalla Ro, commented that it was Shalla coming to incite the Nihil in order to make money for Shalla. Asgar landed and departed the vessel, to which Kassav asked where Shalla was. Asgar responded that Shalla was dead and that it was time to change the Nihil. Kassav opined that Shalla had a history with the Nihil and served as an effective leader, and that, with her gone, it would be easier to simply kill Asgar. Asgar offered to have Marchion fight against any Nihil ships and, if he won, the Tempest Runners would listen to Asgars. Using the Paths provided by San Tekka, Marchion won the contest, and took the title Eye of the Nihil; contrary to Shalla's strategy of slow growth, he greatly expanded the organization during his tenure as Eye.
Following the death of his father in 242 BBY, Marchion became Eye of the Nihil, and fought greatly against the Jedi Order and Republic just as Shalla predicted. San Tekka sometimes thought that Marchion was Asgar or Shalla. In 232 BBY, Marchion cited Shalla's teachings on how to take Jedi prisoner when the Nihil captured Jedi Master Loden Greatstorm captive in the raid on Elphrona. Between 231 BBY and 230 BBY, Marchion breached the Veil, a barrier that prevented ships from landing on the Planet X, by first sending in Nihil ships, thus causing the Veil to focus on destroying them. Marchion subsequently used the Cloudship Ikoru to breach the Veil, exactly like the stories that Shalla had told him predicted.
Shalla Ro was an Evereni woman with black eyes, black hair with red streaks, and slate-gray skin who was 1.65 meters (5 ft 5 in) tall. She was a cautious strategic individual as she attempted to grow the Nihil stealthily. She was skilled at making contact and commanding others to do her orders. According to Kassav, she was a survivor who had good ideas who was also "mean as hell."
Shalla wore a red dress with a Ro family heirloom necklace and turquoise-colored earrings.
Shalla Ro was first mentioned, albeit unnamed, in the 2021 novel The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, written by Charles Soule for the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project's Phase I. She first appeared and was identified as "Shalla" in a flashback in the first issue of the 2022 comic miniseries Star Wars: The High Republic: Eye of the Storm, written by Soule, illustrated by Guillermo Sanna, and published by Marvel Comics on January 12, 2022. The 2023 reference book Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia later identified her surname as "Ro."
- Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia