Bell Zettifar

Bell Zettifar was a human male born on Chandrila in 250 BBY. At some stage, the Jedi Order identified him as being Force-sensitive, and he became an apprentice to the Twi'lek Jedi Master Loden Greatstorm. Zettifar spent several years training as his Padawan. They were stationed at the Elphrona Outpost, together with Jedi Master Porter Engle and Jedi Knight Indeera Stokes.

At one point, a young charhound showed up at the outpost's door with an infected wound. Stokes gave the wound treatment, Engle provided food, and Zettifar gave her the name Ember. Greatstorm permitted Ember to remain, stating that the Force had given them a new member of the team, which was his way of circumventing the Jedi Order's rule against forming attachments.

In 232 BBY, Zettifar made a trip to the Jedi Temple on the planet Tenoo after he and Greatstorm received an invitation to teach the Jedi Initiates at the outpost for a special class. He brought Ember with him and piloted a Jedi Vector to get there. Upon their arrival, Jedi Master Zia Zaldor Zanna greeted them, along with some of the younglings, Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs. Brightstar was very enthusiastic and approached Zettifar with numerous questions about being a padawan, but Ember interrupted him by jumping out of the Jedi Vector. Zettifar then introduced his charhound to the rest of the group, and Ember breathed out fire in excitement.

Master Zanna then extended an invitation to the two guests for a tour of the temple, but Zettifar declined, saying that he wanted to take Ember for a walk after their lengthy flight instead. Brightstar took the two of them to the temple's training field, where Ember was able to run around without restriction.

Later that year, the Legacy Run was destroyed in an event that became known as the Great Hyperspace Disaster, and pieces of the starship were sent flying across the galaxy. Zettifar and Greatstorm were part of the Republic team that responded to the disaster and were sent to the Hetzal system to protect the civilians who were being evacuated. On the surface of Hetzal Prime, the two Jedi confronted a group of security guards who were preventing a large group of citizens from leaving the planet, which was contrary to the orders of Minister Zeffren Ecka. Zettifar and his master had to fight off a force of attacking pirates and deal with the guards.

After the Great Disaster, Zettifar and his master made the journey back to the Jedi outpost located on the planet Elphrona. Greatstorm continued to train Zettifar, working to help him master controlled descent from a great height with the aid of the Force. Zettifar was not able to learn the maneuver successfully and had to be rescued by Stokes, who Greatstorm had positioned on the ground in case his Padawan was in danger. Zettifar felt embarrassed that he needed to be saved, but he then went to eat with Stokes when Engle announced that he was making Nine-Egg Stew. However, their meal was interrupted when the Jedi received a distress signal from the Blythe family. The four Jedi arrived at the Blythe homestead and discovered that the family had been kidnapped. They pursued the Nihil raiders who had captured them, splitting up at one point so Stokes could get a ship and Engle could deal with the enemy rearguard.

Zettifar and Greatstorm rescued the mother, Erika, and defended her as the enemy ship strafed the area. When they chased the ship into space, Zettifar left his master's side to save the daughter, Bailen, whom the Nihil had ejected into space in an attempt to evade their pursuers. Realizing that using the Force was not about saving himself, but saving others, Zettifar finally mastered the ability to control his descent and saved Bailen.

In recognition of this heroic act, Greatstorm announced over comm that he intended to nominate Zettifar to be Knighted by the Jedi High Council and told Zettifar that he would see him after saving Bailen's father. Unfortunately, Greatstorm did not return and was presumed to have died in an explosion that destroyed his Vector, although Zettifar was the only one who believed that he had survived.

Following the loss of Greatstorm, Zettifar refused to take his vows as a Jedi Knight on Coruscant, as he could not imagine doing so without his master present to preside over the ceremony. Therefore, Stokes took Zettifar as her Padawan and pledged to continue his training.

Zettifar attended the dedication of the Starlight Beacon together with his new master and Engle. Ember also accompanied Zettifar, and no one had the heart to object in the aftermath of Greatstorm's supposed death.

In 231 BBY, Zettifar and Stokes were no longer stationed at the Elphrona Outpost. In the time leading up to the Republic Fair on Valo, the pair were given the task of inspecting the new Elite-class vessel, the Innovator, at the Cyclor Shipyards and escorting it to Valo, where it was scheduled to be a main exhibition.

However, a Nihil Cloud launched an attack on the Shipyards in an attempt to destroy the ship and scavenge it. Stokes and Zettifar defended the shipyards, but Zettifar was seriously injured when the Nihil command ship harpooned his Vector and impaled him. He was only saved from the vacuum of space by a powerful display of telekinesis from Stokes. Before losing consciousness, Zettifar managed to destroy the Nihil command ship.

The timely arrival of Engle and a wing of Jedi Vectors turned the tide of the battle, and Zettifar ultimately survived after being rushed to a bacta tank. After recovering, Stokes and Zettifar escorted the Innovator to Valo in time for the opening of the Republic Fair.

At the fair, Zettifar became acquainted with Chancellor Lina Soh's son Kitrep Soh and the local mayor's son Jom Lariin. The following day, Council member Stellan Gios tasked him with finding the two boys after they ran away from a tour of the exhibits.

While Zettifar was searching for the pair on the Innovator, the Nihil attacked the fair. Amidst the chaos, the Innovator began to collapse and sink into the water. Zettifar saved a number of people from it and successfully protected both Kitrep and Jom.

After surviving the devastation on Varo, Stokes and Zettifar boarded a ship headed for the Nihil secret base as stowaways. After they arrived, they planted a tracker, which guided a battle wing of Jedi led by Gios to the planet. The Jedi managed to destroy the base, but many Nihil escaped into hyperspace.

During the battle, Zettifar had a brief reunion with Greatstorm, and the two fought together against the Nihil. However, Eye of the Nihil Marchion Ro unleashed the Great Leveler, a Nameless beast that fed on the Force. Zettifar and Master Elzar Mann were left in a state of shock by the Leveler, while the severely weakened Greatstorm was killed, reduced to a petrified husk.

Zettifar traveled on Starlight Beacon as it was being towed through hyperspace by the Halcyon and other Republic ships to Eiram. After it arrived in orbit, he went to the surface of the planet to assist with the aid efforts.

Zettifar was present with other Jedi on a Longbeam cruiser as it made its way through the Nefitifi system nebula, searching for the Nihil. He informed his master, Indeera Stokes, that there were no transmissions in the Nefitifi system. The Jedi reached out with the Force and were able to locate a Nihil ship. Bell and the other Jedi boarded it, using rebreathers to neutralize the Nihil's gas attacks. Zettifar was pleased that he was taking the fight to the Nihil, but cautioned himself to not feel vengeance against his enemies. The Jedi proceeded to take over the ship and capture prisoners.

They traveled to Starlight Beacon to drop off the prisoners for interrogation. Bell was tasked with checking the supplies in the medical tower. After that, his master advised him to take some time to recuperate. Zettifar and his friend Burryaga Agaburry agreed to meditate together, but Zettifar wanted to see his pet charhound, Ember, first. The group watched as Chancey Yarrow and Nan were taken to a detention cell.

Soon after, refugees from the Nihil attacks started to arrive at Starlight Beacon. Zettifar assisted with the wounded but started to dwell too much on the pain and injuries. Agaburry took him aside and told Zettifar that he needed to take a break before he became overwhelmed. They left the medical tower and went to the observation deck where Zettifar talked to the Wookiee about his distress at not realizing that his former master had been captured and tortured by the Nihil. The Padawan regretted not trying to do something to rescue Greatstorm. The two padawans went to spar. During the session, Zettifar felt as something was off on Starlight Beacon, but couldn't place it. Agaburry confirmed the feeling. As they pondered what to do, the docking bay doors opened and Zettifar realized that more refugees were arriving. As the padawans went to help out, Zettifar came across Ghirra Starros who was leaving the station. He felt that she was up to something, but was unable to sense anything with the Force.

The Jedi onboard Starlight Beacon assembled to discuss the attack on Chespea Temple. While most wanted to concentrate on the refugees of the various Nihil attacks, Zettifar suggested the more important task was to figure out what was effecting the Force users on the station.

Several days after the Nihil saboteurs arrived on Starlight Beacon, they met Zettifar as he was giving out rations. He finished his duties and talked to Stokes about investigating the disruption of the Force they were feeling. She told him that she was going to do it, and refused his help. He was sent to finish his tasks, such as inventorying the refugee's cargo manifests. She tried to assuage his fears of losing another master by telling him she would be with other Jedi and she would be careful. He returned to the medical tower and continued to help with patients.

After Stokes was attacked in the cargo bay by a Nameless and brought to the medical tower, Zettifar was horrified that he hadn't felt his master being attacked through the Force. He stayed with his master through the evening, missing the nightly distribution of rations. Agaburry stopped by with the food, and inquired about Stokes. Zettifar said he couldn't connect to his master through the Force. Agaburry suggested they try to work together but Zettifar discovered that they still couldn't access the Force and it felt like it was distorted and far away.

Zettifar was still in the medical tower when the bombs planted by the Nihil exploded, heavily damaging the station. He tried to calm the patients as the lights went out and emergency power engaged. He tried to contact the Hub, but couldn't get through. He comforted Ember and strategized with Agaburry about their next steps. A droid pointed out that an Eiram medical cruiser had approached the station. Zettifar pondered how to make contact with it when Agaburry suggested using an LT-16 droid. The droid responded that its transmission range was limited but Zettifar figured out that they could boost it by providing more power. Once the droid made contact with the cruiser, Zettifar transmitted a message about the situation on the station. The medical cruiser assessed the situation and transmitted the results of its scan. The padawan was shocked at the damage to the station and learned that it was slowly falling out of orbit. After looking closer at the scan provided by the Eiram, Zettifar determined that the maintenance shafts could be used to travel to other parts of the station.

Zettifar and Agaburry made their way back to the main docking bay, where they rejoined the other Jedi. Elzar Mann sent Zettifar and Agaburry to help calm the crowd in the docking bay. As they did, the station suffered some structural failure, which caused Zettifar to lose his footing. As he steadied himself against a wall, he could feel heat emanating from it. He realized that there was a problem with the auxiliary power and reported it to the rest of the Jedi. Stellan Gios instructed him and Agaburry to assist with the repairs. As it became more apparent that the station was going to tear in half, Zettifar vowed to return to the medical tower so he could be with Ember and Stokes. Zettifar returned to the docking bay to calm the passenger trapped there and to check on the status of the medical tower. He returned to work on the auxiliary power systems and managed to get them stabilized. Agaburry suggested they go look for Orla Jareni and they went to the cargo bay. He discovered her desiccated corpse on the deck and commed Gios with the bad news. The Jedi Master directed Zettifar to put up a containment field around the remains. Zettifar and Agaburry realized that Assek had also been investigating the Force disturbance and continued to search for her. They soon found her husked remains in the cargo bay. Zettifar comforted his friend who was distraught over the loss of his master.

The two padawans returned to the quartermaster's office and informed Mann about the deaths of the two Jedi Masters. He quickly came up with a plan of action and ordered the padawans to find non-Force users to assist with blocking off parts of the station to prevent the threat from reaching the rest of the Jedi. Zettifar led a group of people to the airlocks and showed them how to manually close them. As he worked, he came up with an idea that would allow some of the people trapped on the station to flee. He proposed that people board the ships in the cargo bay and then force open the doors. With the area sealed off, the explosive decompression would be lessened and the ships could then safely depart the station. To prep for the plan, Zettifar checked the cargo manifests to make sure all excess items could be dumped to increase space for passengers. He came upon several ships that were described as carrying live rathtars. He was checking the ships and inadvertently released several of the creatures.

Zettifar drew his lightsaber and started to attack the rathtars, but was blocked by Agaburry. The Wookiee informed him that the creatures reproduced by fission so it was prudent not to slice them in half. Zettifar was able to stab one through its body, killing it. The rathtars were distracted by an emergency flare and Zettifar and the others were able to flee the cargo bay, sealing it behind them. He returned to the quartermaster's office and reported to the Jedi. He also explained his plan for getting some of the passengers off of Starlight Beacon. Gios ordered him to return to the medical tower to assess the situation there and come up with a plan to rescue the patients. He made his way back to the medical tower and checked on Ember and Stokes. He then worked on the problem of saving the patients stuck in the medical tower. He realized that if he could separate the tower from Starlight Beacon, the medical cruiser would be able to catch it in a tractor beam and dock with it using one of the internal air locks that would then be accessible. He contracted Gios and detailed his plan. The Jedi Master thought about how Zettifar had matured during this crisis and predicted he would become a great Jedi Knight. After clearing his plan with Gios, Zettifar constructed a crude bomb and planted at the base of the medical tower and sealed the air locks. The detonation blew the tower clear of Starlight Beacon. As the Eiram moved the tower clear of the station, Zettifar felt the Force returning to him and wondered how the remaining Jedi could cope with the limitations they were experiencing.

After confirmed everyone was safe, he called back to the Starlight Beacon to see if he could be of any more assistance. Gios congratulated him on ingenuity but regretfully informed him that Agaburry was presumed dead after being attacked by a pair of rathtar in the cargo bay. Zettifar took a shuttle from the Eiram medical cruiser and headed back to the station, determined to help in any way possible. As he got close, he started to be affected by the Nameless and managed to pull away from the station. He realized if he went back onboard, he would become ineffective. He reached out to the station, and got in touch with Affie Hollow who was working on restoring the escape pods. She asked him to visually confirm the escape pods would not be damaged when launching.

After the destruction of Starlight Beacon, Zettifar landed on Eiram and assisted the Jedi with doing the final repairs on the desalination plant. He returned to the shuttle and went to search for Agaburry, refusing to believe he was dead.

Sometime after the event, Zettifar was knighted.

Bell Zettifar was a character created for the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project, a narrative initiative to explore the Jedi centuries before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. His first appearance was in the initial release of High Republic media, simultaneously debuting in the novel Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule and the young readers book The Great Jedi Rescue by Cavan Scott on January 5, 2021. Zettifar was initially revealed to the public prior to the initiative's release on October 21, 2020 in a StarWars.com article that provided an overview of some of the Jedi Padawans that would be introduced in the project. Marcus Scribner provided the voice for Zettifar in Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures'.[17]