Bode Akuna

During the Clone Wars, Bode Akuna was a Jedi Knight serving within Republic Intelligence, under assignment from the Jedi High Council, and participating in undercover missions throughout the war. Lank Denvik mentored Bode during this period, and they collaborated closely.

When Darth Sidious issued Order 66 and transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire, Bode leveraged the espionage skills he had acquired while working for Republic Intelligence to evade the Jedi Purge. Bode went into hiding, where he developed a romantic relationship with Tayala, with whom he married and started a family on the planet Birren, Tayala giving birth to Kata Akuna. The Inquisitorius eventually located him. However, Tayala sacrificed herself to allow Bode and Kata to escape. Recognizing that he could not remain on the run indefinitely, Akuna sought out Denvik, who had become a supervisor for the Imperial Security Bureau. To guarantee Kata's safety and to uncover the identity of his wife's murderer, Bode offered to work as a secret agent for Denvik, operating outside of the Empire's official records.

In 9 BBY, Bode went undercover and became a member of the crew of the Stinger Mantis, spying on the Jedi Cal Kestis. Before his first operation with the Mantis crew, Bode reported in to Denvik, who was unsure of Bode's ability to succeed where other ISB attempts to infiltrate Saw Gerrera's operation had failed. Nevertheless, Bode acted in top form to keep his identity as a former Jedi secret, and helped retrieve sensitive information from Imperial senator Daho Sejan's luxury yacht on Coruscant. Bode disguised himself as a member of the Coruscant Police and helped in pretending to capture Cal, delivering him to Sejan. After Kestis incapacitated the yacht with the help of BD-1, he and Bode faced and defeated a KX series security droid, K-405. Bode and the rest of the crew infiltrated the yacht and apprehended Sejan, with Kestis mind-tricking him, gaining access to the sensitive information that revealed the Empire's rapid expansion throughout the galaxy.

Upon exiting the yacht, the crew was ambushed by LAAT/le patrol gunships and the Ninth Sister, who killed Sejan with her lightsaber. Gabs suffered a fatal wound when protecting Kestis from gunship fire, and Klatoonian twins Koob and Lizz were killed in the chaos. When Kestis readied himself to face the Ninth Sister, Bode and Bravo shot down the gunship, causing it to crash into the yacht. While making their escape, Bode and Bravo crashed the yacht into the Imperial forces while Kestis took down a gunship.

After Kestis killed the Ninth Sister, Bravo revealed two Z-95 headhunter fighters he had prepared for Bode and himself, while Kestis prepared the Mantis. The men planned to rendezvous later using locator beacons. Upon making their escape, several TIE fighters confronted them, and Bode had to break formation to draw them off, and Bravo was shot down by a TIE fighter right before he could make the jump to hyperspace.

Bode updated Denvik on the loss of the rest of the Mantis crew, and assured him that as a master of disguise, Kestis did not suspect Bode in the slightest. Soon after, Bode headed to Pyloon's Saloon on the Outer Rim planet Koboh. He pled to Greez Dritus and M-6NK that he was not a spy for the Bedlam Raiders and he was only searching for Cal Kestis, but the saloon owners would not buy the story. Kestis soon appeared and dispelled the misunderstanding. Bode, Greez and Monk soon meet ZN-A4 "Zee," who spoke of the fabled planet Tanalorr beyond the Koboh Abyss. While Cal went to the Basalt Forest to activate the Forest Array, a scientific installation dating to the High Republic Era, Monk repaired Zee, and Bode escorted Dritus to repair the Mantis before the Bedlam Raiders could take it. Bode commented that the Mantis had a stylish paint job and that he would ride it until the thrusters fell off. When Cal returned to Pyloon's Saloon, he spoke of Dagan Gera and added that Tanalorr was real. Bode decided to join Cal on his journey to go to Jedha to find Jedi Master Cere Junda, believing from experience that you had to chase a lead while it was hot. Now aware of the fugitive Jedi Master's location, Bode informed Denvik of his presence on Koboh, but withheld Junda's location to ensure his leverage over Denvik is not lost. He advised Denvik not to send Imperial troops to Koboh for fear of jeopardizing the mission.

On Jedha, Cal presented Bode to the Nightsister Merrin, Junda and Jedi Master Eno Cordova. Bode was impressed with Cere's monastery, thinking the location to be clever as the walls and stone ensured any communications would be jammed from the Empire. He also quickly noted that were was tension between Cal and Cere. With Cal's information and the partially recovered Jedi Archives in the Narkis Anchorite compound, Cordova located former Jedi Dagan Gera's base on Koboh and his laboratory on Koboh's Shattered Moon. Before their departure, Bode gave a blaster to Cal, telling him that while it may be unorthodox for a Jedi to use one, Cal should use every tool at his disposal against the Empire. He also wanted to give a blaster to Merrin, but she declined, showing a glimpse of her dagger. Bode, Cal and Greez went to the Shattered Moon and Koboh, where Cal retrieved two Abyss compasses, devices used to navigate the Koboh Abyss. Meanwhile, Bode stayed behind to protect the Mantis. Whilst on the Shattered Moon, Bode commented that when Koboh’s moon shattered, the Republic settlement collapsed which created the spires and said that it wasn't an old ruin, it was a tomb. The group returned to Jedha, and Cal gave the compasses to Cordova, who remarked that one of them seemed to be a copy, and that both were damaged by a lightsaber. As Cal went with Merrin to find Brother Armias before the Empire could, Bode stayed behind with Cordova to try help him repair the compasses. Unfortunately, Armias was killed by a Trident-class assault ship deployed by the Empire to drill their way into the Pilgrim's Sanctuary, a safe house for the Hidden Path.

Upon the return of Cal and Merrin, Bode and Cordova showed Cal that they found relevant information in the Archives. Centuries earlier, the Republic established a colony on Koboh to study an anomaly called the "Koboh Abyss". Jedi Master Santari Khri led the search team. Their firsts attempts to cross the Abyss were disastrous. The Republic nearly abandoned the project until Dagan Gera volunteered to go alone and discover Tanalorr. Using the data from his journey, Khri created the Abyss compass to guide the others to Tanalorr. The Jedi then built a temple on the hidden world. But this era of peace and prosperity ended with the invasion of the Nihil. Cal wondered how the marauders could cross the Abyss, and Bode deduced that they had stolen a compass. The Republic then abandoned Tanalorr, and the Council ordered Khri to destroy the compass. Dagan refused and turned against the Order. As the discussion shifted to the Gen'Dai Rayvis, a member of a species which seldom aligned with other species, Bode remarked that Rayvis must have worked for Gera for a long time. Cordova said that despite his efforts, the compasses Cal brought back were too damaged to be repaired. However, Cordova added that one compass remained unaccounted for. Cal suspected that they could retrieve it intact. Cere and Cordova stayed on Jedha, while Bode, Cal, Merrin and Greez returned to Koboh. En route, Bode told Greez that he didn't think he'd ever meet a Latero like him again and praised his cooking.

Upon their arrival to Koboh, Mosey Cimmaron and Turgle informed Cal that the Bedlam Raiders attacked Pyloon's Saloon and kidnapped Zee. Mosey indicated that the base of the Bedlam Raiders was the crashed Lucrehulk-class battleship Primacy. Fearing she would be destroyed once Gera realized she knew nothing of the compass, Bode and Cal launched a daring strike to rescue her, while Merrin stayed with Mosey to defend Rambler's Reach Valley from potential Bedlam Raider attacks. While searching for Zee on the Lucrehulk, Bode remarked that Cal had feelings for Merrin and advised him to listen his heart. However, this was a calculated move by Akuna, planning to use Cal's love for Merrin to turn him to his own cause. Suddenly, Cal and Bode got separated by laser shield. Bode expertly destroyed two B1 battle droids and continued his path, planning to meet back up with Cal later. While separated, Bode finally realized that his feelings for Cal were more than an act, something he found fleetingly joyous before being crushingly frustrating. Even so, he used his commitment to his daughter to center himself. Once Cal found Zee, he engaged in a duel with Gera. Cal defended Zee from Dagan's furious attacks until Bode arrived to help push the fallen Jedi back. The friends then used unfired escape pods in the Forward Control Tower of the Lucrehulk to escape the massive Raider base. Before launching his pod, Akuna convinced Zee to power down under the guise of fixing a loose cable in order to check her databanks for any useful information on Tanalorr that he could use.

Bode, along with Cal, Merrin and Greez returned to the Shattered Moon to find Rayvis. While Cal sought out the Gen'Dai, Bode and the others fought vulture droids aboard the Mantis. After Cal defeated Rayvis, the group returned to Koboh, having learned that Dagan Gera was in Santari Khri's mountain observatory to search for the final compass. While Cal fought his way up to the top of the observatory, Bode covered him in his ship. All the while, Bedlam Raiders forces fought Imperial forces stationed on Koboh in the sky and in the observatory itself. The Imperials were quickly decimated by the Bedlam Raiders. Bode rejoined Cal and helped him fight two of Gera's lieutenants: San Dersen and Mads Gresh. Cal and Bode found Dagan while the fallen Jedi watched a final message from Khri. In the ensuing duel, Bode helped Cal to fight Dagan but was soon knocked out. However, BD-1 awoke him while Cal stabbed Dagan through the chest with his lightsaber. Bode then shot Dagan in the back and Cal finished him off with a slash across the chest. Bode and Cal retrieved the final compass, which had been somewhat damaged during the duel. Unbeknownst to Cal, Bode decided to steal Gera's red lightsaber for his own future use, admiring the balance of the blade and the ease with which his saber training returned to him. He vowed to himself to give Kestis one last chance before betraying his friend to the Empire. The men then planned to return to Jedha to see if Cordova could fix the compass, and Cal entertained Dagan's idea of reestablishing the Jedi Order on Tanalorr, instead using Tanalorr for the Hidden Path to raise an army to fight the Empire in secret, a thought Bode heavily disagreed with. Nevertheless, the two departed the observatory and returned to Jedha with the Mantis crew.

At some point, Denvik altered the terms of his agreement with Akuna, promising to reveal the identity of Tayala's killer in exchange for Bode's disclosure of Cere Junda's location. Regardless, the ISB officer intensified the pressure on Bode to betray his friend. Upon the crew's return to the Anchorite base, they presented the compass to Master Cordova, who expressed confidence in his ability to repair the final copy. That evening, the Mantis crew gathered around a bonfire, where they resolved to initiate the relocation of the Hidden Path to Tanalorr. Cal sensed Akuna's unease, but Bode attributed it to concerns for his daughter, claiming to have Force visions of stormtroopers targeting Kata. Giving Kestis one more chance, Bode suggested that the two of them go to Tanalorr first to make sure it was safe, but the younger man stayed convinced that the hidden planet should belong to the Hidden Path. Bode told Kestis that he often thought about the Coruscant crew, remarking that Gabs gave him a hard time and he missed it. Cal thanked his friend for the role he played, and the two hugged. Bode then bid Kestis good night, claiming he was going to record a bedtime story for Kata.

Akuna, nearly deciding against it, connected to a secure Imperial channel, alerting them that he, an Imperial agent, had found a terrorist cell at the current location of his locator beacon. He called upon the Inquisitorius that there were multiple Jedi at the location, including Cere Junda. Bode evoked the name of Darth Vader to pursue Junda herself, an offer that the Dark Lord promptly responded to. The following day, as Master Cordova demonstrated the successful repair of the final Abyss compass, the base's klaxons blared, alerting of an impending Imperial attack. Akuna used the opportunity to take the compass and pull Cordova aside at blasterpoint. With an apology to Cal, Bode shot Master Cordova in the chest twice before dropping a thermal detonator as he ran from the Archive room. Fleeing the compound by speeder bike, Akuna was pursued by Kestis, who eventually caught the older man and destroyed his jetpack. Akuna told Kestis that he did not steal the compass to hand it to the Empire and that if Cal wanted to save his family from a terrible fate, he needed to get back to the Archive. However, in his anger, Cal swung his lightsaber at Bode, causing the former Jedi to reveal his Force sensitivity via a powerful Force push. Akuna reminded Cal that he was not the only one who survived the Purge, and ignited the red lightsaber of Dagan Gera. The men dueled, with Akuna knocking Kestis off the high ledge and shooting him in the left shoulder. Bode then flew off-planet as the Imperials, led by Darth Vader himself, took over the Anchorite base and killed Cere Junda.

Akuna retreated to the ISB listening post within the Nova Garon system with the intention of retrieving Kata and escaping to Tanalorr. He exploited the situation to lure Kestis, who had survived his injuries on Jedha, to the ISB satellite base by leaving his locator beacon active. Akuna's intention was for Kestis's presence to attract the Inquisitorius to the base, thereby eliminating Denvik and concealing his secret past from the Inquisitors. While preparing for their escape, he returned to his quarters to find Kata conversing with Kestis, who had infiltrated the base by donning Denvik's uniform and employing the Force to manipulate the guards. Akuna introduced Kestis to his daughter as his closest friend, with whom he had recently had a disagreement but would resolve matters with. Akuna recounted to Kestis his past involvement in Republic Intelligence during the Clone Wars, his brief relationship with Tayala, which was cut short by the Inquisitors, and his clandestine arrangement with Denvik. He voiced his frustration that Kestis had forfeited the opportunity to safeguard both of their families on Tanalorr for the sake of a group of strangers within the Hidden Path. Cal responded by condemning Akuna's perceived selfishness in sacrificing countless individuals to save himself, deeming his former friend a monster. Bode retorted that he was not a monster but a father, something that Cal could never comprehend. When Kestis accused Akuna of luring him to the base to destroy it, the latter telekinetically hurled a large table at Kestis before fleeing the officer's quarters with Kata. With an enraged Kestis in pursuit, Akuna alerted the base to the Jedi's presence in order to delay him while he and Kata escaped aboard his Z-95, possessing the only functional Abyss compass.

Navigating the Koboh Abyss with the Abyss compass, Akuna and his daughter successfully reached the hidden world of Tanalorr. Their vessel touched down near the entrance of the abandoned Jedi Temple. Kestis, unbeknownst to Akuna, had discovered Santari Khri's final message detailing access to the hidden world via the Alignment Control Tower close to Rambler's Reach Outpost. Utilizing this information, Kestis, along with Zee, Merrin, and Dritus, traversed the Koboh Abyss. After another encounter with Kata, who voiced her dislike for the isolated planet, Kestis, BD-1, and Merrin were guided by the young girl to the temple's main hall to confront Akuna. Kestis and Merrin's presence on his planet shocked Bode. Believing it was the only way to protect his daughter from the Empire, he brandished a blaster against the Force users, urging Kata to leave, despite her pleas for him to stop. Akuna employed the Force to collapse the bridge separating Kata from the group and activated Gera's lightsaber to engage Kestis and Merrin in combat. During the duel, he again used the Force to destabilize the temple's structure, forcing Merrin to break off the fight to shield Kata from falling debris. Left alone to fight Kestis, Akuna used his raw strength to gain the upper hand. On the verge of defeat, Kestis tapped into the dark side of the Force to overpower Akuna, pinning him down with his lightsaber at his throat. Kestis and Merrin made a last plea for Akuna to yield for his daughter's sake. Pretending to surrender, Akuna questioned Kestis's ability to protect Kata from the inevitable arrival of the Empire. Capitalizing on Kestis's distraction, Akuna swiftly put the younger Jedi in a chokehold, tossing his lightsaber aside. Kata rushed to her father, hoping to prevent violence, but Akuna used the Force to push her back and then subjected Merrin to a powerful Force choke. Kestis managed to disrupt Akuna's balance, allowing Merrin to hurl a dagger into Akuna's right shoulder before both men scrambled for their blasters. Failing to notice his own weapon had been damaged earlier, Akuna realized too late that his blaster was nonfunctional and Kestis fatally shot him in the chest. Bode was subsequently executed by Kestis after the later shot him second time.

Despite Bode's act of betrayal, which caused the loss of lives, the Mantis crew saw fit to give him a proper Jedi funeral on Tanalorr, placing him alongside Masters Junda and Cordova. In accordance with Jedi tradition, Bode's corpse was enshrouded in white linens and placed on tables decorated with Tanalorr's native flora. Merrin used her magick to set the pyres ablaze, and the group collectively paid their respects as their loved one, now one with the Force, was cremated. As a final farewell to her father, Kata laid her plush toy, a Mookie, on the pyre before departing Tanalorr with the Mantis crew.

Bode Akuna possessed black hair, brown eyes, a tanned complexion, and a commanding, muscular physique.

On the surface, Bode presented a persona of sarcasm and lightheartedness, but beneath this facade lay deep trauma stemming from his narrow escape from the Jedi Purge and the subsequent years of being hunted. The death of his wife only amplified this trauma, fueling an intense determination to safeguard his daughter, Kata Akuna. This loss instilled in Bode a profound fear of losing Kata, driving him to adopt drastic and violent measures to ensure her safety. Ultimately, this led to Bode's descent into the dark side, as he prioritized Kata's well-being above all else, refusing to allow other Force-sensitive refugees under the protection of the Hidden Path to settle on Tanalorr, as he believed he could not trust "complete strangers" with its location. When backed into a corner and fearing the loss of control over Kata, he was prepared to take reckless actions that could potentially harm his own daughter, simply to keep her away from Cal Kestis and Merrin.

Bode was remarkably powerful and skilled in using the Force, showing proficiency in telekinesis and employing it effortlessly for tasks such as lifting, pushing, choking, or pulling objects. He even demonstrated the ability to Force choke individuals as powerful as Cal and Merrin, with Cal struggling to break free, and easily Force pushed Cal when he caught him off guard. Bode also demonstrated skill in using the Force to enhance his physical capabilities, using bursts of Force-enhanced speed to surprise Cal during their fights and amplifying his strength to deliver unblockable attacks that generated shockwaves upon impact. Despite his Force sensitivity, Bode was able to mask his connection to the Force, concealing it even from Jedi Masters.

Bode possessed considerable skill in lightsaber combat, favoring the aggressive and brutal style of Form V, which complemented his muscular build. However, the need to conceal his Jedi past had diminished his skills, leading him to combine his expertise in marksmanship and unarmed combat, honed as a mercenary, with his lightsaber skills. This combination made him a formidable opponent, capable of wielding a fluid fighting style that could overwhelm most adversaries. He initially defeated Cal Kestis due to Cal's emotional distress and surprise at Bode's true identity as a Jedi survivor. He even managed to hold his own against both Cal and Merrin on Tanalorr for a significant period, but was eventually defeated by Cal in a one-on-one lightsaber duel.

Having served in Republic Intelligence during the Clone Wars, Bode was highly adept in espionage, surveillance, and tracking, skills he used to conceal his daughter from his enemies and maintain his hidden identity as a former Jedi. He was also a skilled actor and manipulator, capable of altering his personality to suit his target.

As both a mercenary and gunslinger, Akuna used a jetpack, which he claimed to have stolen from a bounty hunter who threatened Kata with a blaster. He also carried dual blaster pistols, thermal detonators, and shock grenades. He also owned a LW-896 blaster pistol, which he later gifted to Kestis. After betraying Kestis, Akuna wielded one half of Dagan Gera's red lightsaber.

Bode was first introduced in the reveal trailer for the 2023 video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. He was designed as an AI companion to assist with both navigation and combat. Noshir Dalal portrayed Akuna.