Azlin Rell

Azlin Rell, a male human, once served as the Padawan to the Wookiee Jedi Arkoff. By the year 382 BBY, during the High Republic Era, Rell had attained the rank of Jedi Knight. He embarked on a tour of duty to the Outer Rim Territories, accompanied by his astromech droid, C-9. Two months into this tour, Rell and C-9 visited one of the Relik moons, where the droid discovered a peculiar charged alloy, which it then used to craft a new arm for itself, granting it the ability to detect electromagnetic fields. When Rell remarked that this enhancement made C-9 more perceptive to approaching individuals than he was, the droid playfully suggested they refer to the arm as its Jedi hat. Rell dedicated several years to his service on the frontier.

In 382 BBY, Rell journeyed to the planet Tiikae with the intention of assisting in the deflection of a large herd of migrating grass sharks away from a trade outpost. Upon realizing that he was unable to complete this task on his own, he sent out a short-range distress call which was picked up by Jedi Master Zallah Macri and her Padawan, Kevmo Zink. They were operating out of the Port Haileap Jedi outpost and had just completed a rescue mission on the ocean moon of Amloch. They were scheduled to return to Haileap, but Macri decided to remain on the moon for one more day, which allowed them to receive Rell's call and arrive in time to assist the settlement.

While Macri and Zink rode skimboards and diverted the sharks away from the outpost, Rell and C-9 worked on a way to encourage the creatures to take a different route, while the outpost itself was evacuated. Rell and C-9 discovered that the sharks used Tiikae's magnetic field to choose their migration path, and since the last migration five years before, the field had shifted enough that the sharks' new chosen migration path took them too close to the settlement. With his droid's assistance, Rell repeated the trick the two had performed on the Core Worlds planet Alderaan to keep flocks of night-lethers away from tall buildings, using a comm beacon to make an artificial signal which would lead the sharks down a different canyon, away from the outpost.

Zink and Macri spent some time rerouting the herd while Rell searched for a solution, and as sunset approached, the Padawan contacted Rell to ask how much longer the operation would take. Rell responded that he and C-9 needed just a few more minutes just as Zink's skimboard failed, causing the Pantoran to leap away from the vehicle, leaving him on the ground near the herd. Macri moved to protect her apprentice by diverting the grass sharks, which shortly moved away of their own accord when Rell and C-9 activated their beacon to reroute them. Zink told Rell that whatever he had done was working, and Macri asked him to come pick up Zink while she tracked the herd to ensure the solution continued to work. Rell acknowledged that he was on his way.

Rell arrived in his shuttle to pick up Zink from the grassland, lowering the ramp for the Padawan to board. Zink made his way to the cockpit to meet Rell in person for the first time, and Rell thanked him for his help. He informed Zink that Macri had messaged him that she would meet them back at the spaceport, where Macri and Zink's starship was located. Sitting in the copilot chair, Zink expressed how impressed he was with how Rell had diverted the herd, asking how it had been done. When Rell explained, Zink briefly thought that the Jedi Knight had changed Tiikae's entire magnetic field. Rell, appearing slightly embarrassed, elaborated on how he and C-9 had reconfigured a comms beacon. Zink was impressed, and C-9 was proud, but Rell demurred that he had simply done his job. Zink insisted that Rell's feat had still been incredible, and Rell mentioned how he had used the trick on Alderaan. As Rell piloted his shuttle to the settlement, Zink asked him what the best thing to eat there was.

After Zink and Macri had [showered](/article/shower], they joined Rell in a tavern to eat [fish stew](/article/fish_stew]. Macri arrived at the table last, and after she ordered a portion of stew, Rell slid her a mug of the local sour tea. After thanking Rell, Macri announced that she and Zink would need to leave immediately after the meal, as they were needed on the planet Hynestia to investigate the theft of the Rod of Seasons, an artifact belonging to the queen, five days prior. Zink asked why the Hynestians wanted Jedi involved, and Macri explained that the stolen object was a Force artifact. Surprised, the Padawan nearly knocked over his own mug of tea, and glanced at Rell after settling himself to see that the Jedi Knight was attempting not to smile at Zink's enthusiasm.

Zink invited Rell to come with them, but Rell politely declined, explaining that he had to finish up some reports and repairs, before returning to the Jedi outpost on the moon Jedha to check in. The activity did not appeal to the enthusiastic Pantoran, who said it was too bad, as he wanted to hear more about what Rell had been doing for the last few years. Rell said he had been doing much the same as Zink had, and the Padawan took a moment to discern if Rell was teasing him before agreeing and raising his mug in a salute.

Macri and Zink's mission took them to the planet Dalna to investigate the Path of the Open Hand, a cult based there which they identified as likely suspects in the case. During the course of their investigation, the Jedi pair discovered that the cult were indeed responsible for the theft, and eventually snuck into the Path's compound to retrieve the stolen Rod of Seasons and other artifacts the cult had taken. However, they were confronted by the Path's leader, the Mother, who unleashed a bizarre creature she named the Leveler on them, which overwhelmed and killed them. In the aftermath, the Path of the Open Hand swiftly abandoned Dalna.

When days had passed with no contact from the stricken master and apprentice, Rell was contacted by Jedi Master Xo Lahru while he was en route to Jedha, the emergency message asking him to stop at Dalna to check in on them. Upon receiving the message, which mentioned the Path of the Open Hand, Rell refreshed himself on what he knew about the cult due to the extensive research he had performed during his time on the frontier. Aware that the Path preached non-interference with the Force, Rell became concerned about the trouble Macri and especially Zink could have gotten into with them.

Rell found that there had been no contact from them in days, and Jinx Pickwick, Ferdan's sheriff, had notified the outpost of the Jedi's abandoned skiff, with some locals wanting to confiscate it. Breaking into the starship, Rell and C-9 downloaded the information on its computer onto a datapad. When Rell spoke to Pickwick, although the sheriff was reluctant to involve herself with the situation, she informed him that the Path had departed Dalna two days before, in a large starship they had been constructing for months. She also told him about Zink's role in assisting members of the cult to survive during recent heavy flooding. Rell then spoke with Lady Jara, the owner of the boarding house where Macri and Zink had stayed, who was quick to blame the Path for their disappearance.

The night of his arrival, Rell ventured to the Path's abandoned compound with C-9. On the way there, the droid took a shortcut through a field of lompop flowers to avoid a section of the road too muddy for it, and Rell let himself be comforted by C-9's mutterings. Upon arriving at the compound, Rell found signs that it had been abandoned quickly, including spilled grain and the remnants of personal belongings. Rell made his way to a locked door leading to the underground caverns which comprised a significant portion of the complex. Steadying himself, Rell reached for the Force but found it to be unusually thin, which unsettled him. Aligning himself with the Force, Rell patted his droid on the dome, before drawing his lightsaber and cutting open the door, kicking it in to enter.

Taking out his glow rod, Rell ordered C-9 to stay there and be ready to send an emergency burst back to their ship if anything were to happen, promising to use his comlink to keep in touch. Venturing into the caverns, Rell called out but received no reply. He reached out with his Force senses, but detected very little. Upon reaching an intersection at the bottom of the first staircase, Rell pushed out with the Force again and moved instinctively towards where he sensed an unusual sensation that felt almost like a yearning of sorts. Walking with his eyes shut, Rell went on a twisting route through the tunnels until he nearly stumbled upon hitting a wall that he discovered was not physical, but something mirroring the Force back at him, reflecting his growing dread.

Examining the large chamber he found himself in, Rell saw an odd scatter of what looked like pulverized stone on the floor. Rell knelt down to examine the pile, but flung himself away upon touching what he immediately recognized as a Jedi cloak, not stopping until he reached the wall. Shining his light upon the remains, Rell was horrified to discover the pile was the remains of a Jedi whose body had been calcified and broken into pieces. Rell recognized that the remains were those of Kevmo Zink. Despite his horror, Rell steeled himself and walked past the remains, promising to return, and reached into the Force again, sensing the dread which permeated the room. Taking it step by step, Rell followed the strange Force thread while trying to remain confident, determined to locate Macri's remains while trying to ignore his memories of her and her Padawan.

Rell stopped, reaching out to connect with the Living Force to reassure himself, before pressing on. He found Macri's remains in another chamber with automatic lighting, sensing a hidden door beyond which powerful Force artifacts had formerly been stored. As he knelt beside Macri's remains, which consisted of her robes, belt, boots and utility items in addition to what was left of her body, which had become stone-like just like Zink's, Rell thought about how to collect them for funerary rites, knowing that both of the fallen pair's robes could be brought back to Coruscant. He also realized that both of the lightsabers belonging to the fallen Jedi were missing. Rell was filled with dread over how Macri and Zink had been destroyed, identifying that he was afraid. Through the Force, he felt an overwhelming feeling of fear clinging to their bodies.

Rell journeyed to the Jedi outpost on Elphrona, where he shared his discoveries concerning Macri and Zink on Dalna with the outpost's Marshal, Jedi Master Rinn, who also happened to be a longtime friend of Arkoff. Subsequently, Rinn and Rell personally delivered the news to the Jedi High Council at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. While on Coruscant, Rell and Jedi archivist Vin paid a visit to the Kyber Arch, where the kyber crystals extracted from the lightsabers of deceased Jedi were placed. Although they lacked Macri and Zink's lightsabers and were unable to place their crystals, Vin affirmed that they would forever remember the sacrifice made by the two Jedi. Rell felt that remembrance was insufficient and expressed his desire to uncover answers. He assured Vin that he would exercise caution but conveyed his belief that the Jedi dispatched into the galaxy in search of answers were not enough and that they also needed to investigate the past.

In pursuit of records detailing the adventures of Jedi Master Barnabas Vim, Vin led Rell to a location within the Jedi Archives where he could conduct his search, assuring him that the records would be easily located due to their relative recency. Rell voiced his concerns about the sheer volume of Vim's adventures, but Vin informed him that he could take as much time as he needed. Eventually, Rell came across an image depicting three purple stones, leading him to suspect that these stones were linked to the Rod of Seasons and, consequently, held the key to unlocking answers. These stones were three parts of one crystal called the Echo Stone, a powerful artifact capable of amplifying the power of the Force. Rell examined a record of Vim and his Padawan Vix Fonnick's mission to a planet called Angcord in search of the Echo Stone. During this mission, they defeated the Lady of Angcord, who had been corrupted by the stone through the amplification of her dark side powers. Fonnick divided the stone into three pieces, which Vim and Fonnick then split up and separated from each other, bringing them to the far corners of the galaxy. Upon reviewing the record of this mission, Rell became convinced that the stones held the key to finding answers.

Eventually, Council members Ela Sutan and Gluth Andoi felt that the Force was telling them to go to Dalna personally, and they decided to go and bring Rell and Rinn with them. There, they met up with Jedi Knight Oliviah Zeveron and Padawan Matthea Cathley, who were also investigating the Path. Cathley recognized Rell, as he had visited the archives on Jedha where she was stationed on behalf of Master Lahru. Rell and the others explained why they were there, and then brought the two into their group. As they began to approach the compound gates, hoping to approach in peace and find understanding with the cult, Rell noticed Cathley had gotten into an argument with Zeveron, who Rell had mistaken for Cathley's master, and decided to advise her to keep her head down and avoid pressure. Cathley, who had earnestly wanted to join this mission and had started feeling left out, made it clear that his advice was not helpful. Rell revealed that he had hoped that Rinn would take over the mission and he would not have to come, as he was terrified of going back into the caves.

Once they entered the compound, the group of Jedi were attacked by the Path's enforcer droids, joining other Jedi fighting on other fronts and becoming part of a large scale battle that would be known as the Night of Sorrow. Rell lead them into the caves, where they faced more resistance. He, Cathley, and Andoi were forced to defend Sheriff Jinx Pickwick and one of her deputies, who had joined their party, when they made a wrong turn and were faced with a large group of Path forces. However, Rell, Cathley, and Andoi were quickly overcome with inexplicable fear as a creature approached, the same species of creature Macri and Zink had been killed by, known only as the Nameless. The disorientation and fear caused Rell to drop his lightsaber and thus get shot in the side. As the creature killed Andoi and turned him into a husk, Azlin curled up in a ball on the floor and began to scream. Once the creature left, Cathley comforted Rell and urged him to continue on. Rell refused to go through what they went through again and was terrified by having not been able to feel the Force when the creature was around, but Cathley ignored his cries for her to leave him and instead had him repeat the Guardian's Mantra until he agreed to keep fighting.

As they navigated the tunnels, Rell and Cathley stumbled upon three more deceased Jedi, all unrecognizable. Rell, though still functional, had traded the Guardian's Mantra for a constant murmur about "them" being out there and returning. Their journey led them to Zeveron, who was protecting a group of Dalnans from the Open Hand's Herald, Werth Plouth. She was assisting her in disarming and slamming him against the wall using the Force. Plouth evaded Zeveron's inquiries about their affliction, prompting Rell to forcefully enter Plouth's mind, demanding answers about his actions. Cathley, believing Rell's methods deviated from the Jedi path, used the Force to push him away. Despite this, Rell, unrepentant, revealed his success: he had learned that the Path was utilizing a Force artifact known as the Rod of Power and that Plouth's thoughts included the name Marda Ro.

The Herald guided them to a camera-filled room. Rell stood guard at the door while the others discovered Ro's destination: the Mother's chambers. Upon arrival, with Rell at the rear, they witnessed the Mother attacking Ro with the Rod of Power until Cathley disarmed her. Rell accused the Mother of lying when she attempted to frame Ro for the attack. Plouth, noticing the graying of her arms, declared that her "devil" was feeding on her, prompting Rell to demand an explanation. Oliviah Zeveron realized the Mother was her estranged sister, Elecia Zeveron, deducing that her use of the Force, despite her claims against it, was causing her to be consumed by the Nameless. The Mother then seized the Rod of Power, activating it to channel the power of the nearby Nameless, causing Rell to collapse, muttering about their return to take them away. He reverted to screaming and curled into a ball on the floor. While Cathley and Oliviah recovered, Cathley chose to abandon him in pursuit of Ro, who had absconded with the Rod, hoping to aid Rell later.

Later, amidst the battle, Rell fled from Path members through the caves, eventually encountering his old friend and former master, the Wookiee Jedi Arkoff, and Arkoff's former Master, Ravna Abronsa. He desperately tried to warn them of an impending threat beyond the Path, but Abronsa and Arkoff remained focused on battling a Harch Path member named Vol Garat, much to Rell's frustration. However, Abronsa sensed the need to evacuate, and Arkoff extracted her and Rell from the caves just before they flooded and exploded. Reaching the surface, Rell once again succumbed to the unseen force of the Nameless, resulting in Abronsa's death at the hands of the creatures. Cathley's master, Vildar Mac, and his friend Tey Sirrek discovered Rell and carried him away as he attributed his suffering to the creatures.

The effects of the creatures persisted after the battle, with Rell hearing a song that echoed Ro's name for the Nameless: "Shrii ka rai." As Rell was being loaded onto a relief shuttle destined for Coruscant, Cathley found him writing. In a manic state, Rell grabbed her shoulder, asking if she could hear the voices he heard, before revealing that the Herald was ignorant of the creatures' true nature, unlike Ro. He cautioned against the absence of balance or center, urged Cathley to read the song aloud, and warned that the "Shrii ka rai" were returning to turn them to dust. Despite Mac and Sirrek's suggestion that she accompany him to provide aid, she chose to return to Jedha. He began documenting the Nameless in a journal.

Overwhelmed by his fear, Rell ultimately abandoned the Jedi, forsaking the Order, and embraced the dark side of the Force. He was convinced he had no other choice, believing his actions were for the greater good. Through the dark side, Rell survived for over a century, dedicating his life to studying and attempting to comprehend the Nameless, but his mind and knowledge were ultimately consumed by his fear-induced madness. He also eventually lost or removed his eyes, leaving only empty sockets.

Eventually, Grand Master Yoda located Rell and managed to bring some calm to Rell's mind so he could help in understanding the Nameless. In 230 BBY, he accompanied Yoda to the planet Corellia, his face hidden by robes and bandages. After Yoda helped bring the Battle of the Corellian Shipyards to an end, Rell accompanied Yoda to a secure location on the planet offered as a safe haven for the Jedi by Alys Ongwa, who had lead the Corellians during the battle. Rell spent his time on Corellia quietly singing the "Shrii ka rai" song to himself and not speaking to anyone, including the Jedi there, or giving any hint to his identity.

Three months after the Destruction of Starlight Beacon and the Battle of the Corellian Shipyards, Yoda escorted Rell to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, intending to introduce him to the Jedi Council. Jedi Knight Reath Silas, who had remained at the hideaway with the other Jedi after the Battle of the Corellian Shipyards, recognized Rell and suspected he was the same person who had been with Yoda on Corellia, telling fellow Jedi Ady Sun'Zee that he did not like Rell. Yoda informed the Council, who could sense the dark side emanating from Rell, that he held the key to understanding the Nameless. The Council members initially reacted with hostility until Yoda assured them of his long-term collaboration with Rell and his conviction that Rell posed no threat. Rell explained that he had turned to the dark side for the benefit of the Jedi, asserting their need for him. Yoda explained to the council that they would work to unlock the secrets of the Nameless that Rell learned throughout his life and were now lost within Rell's mind because of his madness, fear, and turn to the dark side.

Force-sensitive human male, Azlin Rell possessed tan skin and close-cropped dark hair. While not inherently fearful, he placed his trust in the Force, embracing it as an integral part of himself, yet remained cautious and prudent. He preferred the company of droids over people. Rell eschewed pride in his achievements, maintaining humility and asserting that he was simply fulfilling his duty. He found taking credit for being a hero embarrassing, believing he was merely doing what was expected of him and any Jedi. He enjoyed Kevmo Zink's company, finding him easy to laugh with. Rell was serious and did not mind doing reports, leading the enthusiastic Zink to be confused about whether or not the older Jedi was teasing him. He considered a solid research background to be essential to completing missions with satisfactory outcomes, a philosophy which saved him on several occasions.

Rell's initial reaction to news of missing Jedi was a sense of impending doom, a premonition that proved accurate. He had a habit of brushing his fingers against his lightsaber for comfort, a gesture he reserved for moments of solitude. Rell was deeply disturbed by the lingering sensation of the Leveler's birth and subsequent killing of Zink and Zallah Macri, which turned to horror when he discovered they were dead. He took pieces of the pair's robes to be returned to the Jedi for their funerals, and was grieved by their deaths, especially Zink's.

After finding their bodies, Rell began to be more afraid and did not even want to continue investigating what had happened and instead pass off the job to someone else. He also became quite frustrated, but also curious, which lead him to investigate at the Jedi Archives on Coruscant. He did not wish to do more than what was asked of him and advised Matthea Cathley to keep her head down when he heard her arguing for a bigger role in a mission. He also revealed to her that he was terrified to return to the caves where he had found Macri and Zink's bodies.

After coming into contact with the Nameless, Rell was even more overcome by fear and did not want to continue fighting or trying to save lives. He was especially terrified by the prospect that the Force was not with him as he had not been able to feel it when the Nameless were nearby, and struggled with feeling powerless in general. He also started to ignore what the Jedi accepted as right and wrong and aggresively forced himself into Werth Plouth's mind without remorse. The encounter with the Nameless also caused him to continually mutter that they were coming back out of fear. When he descended into madness after being affected by the creatures three times, he became obsessed with the Nameless and the song "Shrii ka rai ka rai" and desperately tried to make Cathley understand the danger the creatures posed.

Rell possessed the ability to sense the Force and align himself with it, using it to perceive his surroundings. He could sense emotions tied to locations, and upon entering the Mother's former listening room on Dalna, could sense the vault where her stolen artifacts had once been kept. He knew how to pilot starships, and could calibrate communication beacons. He had the power to reach into someone's mind with the Force, a power he used on Werth Plouth, which allowed him to see what the man was thinking.

Rell was typically accompanied by his personal astromech droid, C-9, and owned a comlink to communicate with it. On his tour of the Outer Rim, Rell travelled in a standard single shuttle. He wielded a lightsaber with a pale blue blade, which he carried in a holster. Rell used a glow rod in dark areas.

Azlin Rell's name first surfaced in the 2022 young-adult novel The High Republic: Path of Deceit, penned by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project.