Darth Talon

Born a Lethan female Twi'lek, Darth Talon was a third-generation member of the One Sith. She lived more than a century after the Galactic Civil War. She was raised and trained at the Sith Academy on Korriban, an ancient Sith burial world that secretly housed the revived Sith Order. Under the guidance of Darth Ruyn, Talon's natural abilities as a Force-sensitive individual were refined to transform her into a Sith assassin. Her psychology was manipulated to ensure complete adherence to the One Sith's principles. Her unwavering loyalty was reserved for the order's founder, Darth Krayt, the Dark Lord of the Sith and emperor of a new Sith Empire.

As her training neared completion, Talon was deeply immersed in the dark side of the Force. Her ultimate loyalty test involved the cold-blooded murder of Ruyn. Without hesitation, the apprentice obeyed Darth Krayt's command and killed her own Master. Having passed this final test, Talon was promoted to the rank of Hand, becoming one of the Emperor's most trusted assassins.

Talon's inaugural mission as a Hand involved locating and capturing Princess Marasiah Fel to draw out her father, the ousted emperor Roan Fel, from his hiding place. Talon journeyed to Socorro, where she located Fel concealed within the Imperial Mission. While the Princess evaded capture, her bodyguard and mentor, Imperial Knight Elke Vetter, was defeated in combat by the Sith Twi'lek.

After amputating Vetter's hand and stabbing her leg during their duel, Talon proceeded to torture Vetter using the Force. Talon learned that Fel had escaped with an Imperial Missionary named Astraal Vao. Deeming the fallen Knight useless, Talon executed Vetter with Force lightning and resumed her pursuit of Fel. However, just as Talon was about to seize her target, Fel and Vao fled Socorro aboard the Mynock, a starship piloted by the former Jedi-turned-bounty hunter Cade Skywalker.

Talon tracked Fel and her companions to Vendaxa, where they were joined by two additional Jedi, Wolf Sazen and Shado Vao. To prevent another escape, Talon sabotaged the Mynock's flight systems and planted explosives. Utilizing the dark side, she rallied a pack of vanx to her cause. Under Talon's influence, these creatures launched a frenzied assault on the group.

While Fel and her allies defended themselves against the beasts, Talon engaged Sazen and Vao in combat, demonstrating remarkable skill against the two Jedi. After incapacitating Vao with a Force push, she focused her attention on Sazen, recognizing him as the Jedi Master who had lost his arm in a duel with Darth Nihl during the Massacre of Ossus. The Sith Lady unleashed a torrent of Force lightning upon Sazen, but Marasiah Fel intervened, preventing his death. Enraged by Elke Vetter's death, the Princess attacked Talon, determined to prevent further loss of life. Talon was further surprised when Cade Skywalker used the Force to hurl debris at her. The force of the impact sent the Sith flying into the jungle undergrowth.

Despite her injuries from Skywalker's attack, Talon survived and awaited reinforcements from her Master. Soon after the Imperial Knights Antares Draco and Ganner Krieg arrived on Vendaxa in an unauthorized attempt to rescue the Princess, the fighting resumed as Talon and her fellow Sith, including Darth Nihl, launched an all-out attack on the combined group of Jedi, Imperials and bounty hunters. During the ensuing skirmish, Darth Talon dueled with Shado Vao. Although Marasiah Fel was severely wounded, Talon ultimately failed in her objective to acquire the Imperial Princess, once again due to the intervention of Cade Skywalker. As the Mynock departed from Vendaxa with the injured Fel and company, Talon attempted to board the ship as well, only to be Force pushed out of the vessel by Antares Draco.

Following the debacle on Vendaxa, Darth Talon returned to Coruscant, expecting execution for her failure. However, after she informed her Master of Cade Skywalker's involvement, Darth Krayt spared her life. Instead, Talon was tasked with hunting down and capturing Skywalker, supposedly the last scion of the infamous Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Shortly after the Vendaxa incident, Cade Skywalker traveled to Coruscant with the intention of rescuing Jedi Knight Hosk Trey'lis. Despite successfully infiltrating the Temple of the Sith and freeing Trey'lis, the two Jedi were confronted by Darth Talon. With their escape route blocked, Skywalker and Trey'lis were forced into a confrontation with the Sith assassin. Talon incapacitated Trey'lis but was unable to overcome Skywalker's defenses. The fight led the renegade Jedi to channel the dark side of the Force, ultimately overpowering Talon in combat.

Darth Nihl, who had been observing the duel from a distance, used the Force to choke Skywalker before he could kill Talon. Despite being saved from imminent death, Talon resented Nihl's intervention. Nevertheless, Skywalker was subdued and taken prisoner by the One Sith. While Darth Maladi subjected him to torture, Krayt prepared to lure him to the dark side and the Sith cause, a task in which Talon would play a crucial role.

Shortly after Skywalker's capture, he was granted a private audience with Darth Krayt, with Talon and Darth Wyyrlok present. The Dark Lord revealed his former identity as A'Sharad Hett, a Knight of the original Jedi Order and a veteran of the Clone Wars. He then recounted the events that led to his fall to the dark side of the Force: the betrayal and near extermination of the Jedi, the rise of the first Galactic Empire, and Hett's self-imposed exile on Tatooine.

However, the revelation of Krayt's past had no effect on Skywalker. When the former Jedi mocked the Dark Lord, Talon angrily attacked him, only to be thrown against a wall by the Force. Skywalker seized the opportunity to demonstrate another aspect of his unique healing ability: the power to reverse healing effects. Consequently, he reopened all of Talon's recently healed wounds, nearly killing her. At Krayt's request, Skywalker repaired the damage he had inflicted on Talon.

Krayt wasted no time in attempting to sway Cade Skywalker to the dark side. He decided to pair Talon and Skywalker as master and apprentice. Despite her skepticism about her new acolyte's intentions to become a Sith, Talon complied with her Master's will. During their time together, she recounted the history of the One Sith and how its philosophy was inspired by the teachings of XoXaan. She also attempted to convince Skywalker that his destiny was inextricably linked to the dark side and the Sith. As their time together progressed, the two grew closer, a result of the bond that developed between them as a side effect of Skywalker's healing power. They presumably engaged in sexual relations, but Talon remained convinced that her apprentice was only feigning interest in the Sith. However, Krayt disregarded Talon's suspicions, believing that Skywalker would ultimately embrace the dark side, regardless of any initial resistance.

Darth Talon and Darth Nihl were present when Darth Krayt presented Cade Skywalker with an ultimatum: kill Hosk Trey'lis or die. Aware that Krayt could not afford to kill his only hope for survival, Skywalker refused to execute his fellow Jedi. Enraged, Krayt struck down Trey'lis with his own blade. The act of murder provoked a reaction in Skywalker, but the spirit of Master Kol Skywalker prevented his complete submission to the dark side.

After witnessing the apparition of the long-dead Jedi Master, Cade Skywalker seized his father's lightsaber, which had been kept as a trophy in Krayt's throne room for years. Darth Talon was the first to attack, only to be impaled through the abdomen by her own apprentice. As a result, she was completely incapacitated and unable to prevent Skywalker's escape from Coruscant. Afterward, she was forced to spend considerable time in a bacta tank to recover from her near-fatal wound.

After recovering, Talon joined Krayt, Nihl's replacement Darth Stryfe and Maladi to Had Abbadon, where Skywalker was spotted. Talon dueled against Skywalker taunting him that he was closer to the dark side than he thought. The duel ended shortly before explosives were detonated by Jariah Syn, leaving her and the other Sith minions unconscious. Shortly after, the man she had pledged her life to, Darth Krayt, was killed by his most trusted servant, Darth Wyyrlok.

Sometime after her recovery, Darth Wyyrlok assigned her to guard Darth Krayt's tomb and to let no one in. However, Darth Nihl, convinced by Darth Maladi, traveled to Korriban to inquire as to Darth Krayt's survival. Talon prevented him from entering the tomb but chose to follow him when Nihl claimed that Krayt himself had summoned him with his mind. However, Krayt's body had vanished and only his armor remained. This shocked both Talon and Nihl.

Sometime later, however, Talon mysteriously disappeared from the Temple. Deep within Korriban's tombs, she had found a very much alive Krayt, who declared that his rebirth had begun. Darth Nihl later found her and attacked her, but Krayt intervened. He then led both Sith deeper into the tombs and showed them that he had been creating a new breed of Sith whose devotion was completely unquestionable. He then used his magnified powers to reach out to everyone in the galaxy that had touched the dark side to tell them that he lived.

In 138 ABY, Talon joined Darth Krayt in an attack orchestrated as revenge for Darth Wyyrlok's betrayal. Initially, Krayt, along with Darth Talon, Darth Nihl, and two Sith troopers, faced five Sith aligned with Darth Wyyrlok; however, Krayt and his followers swiftly defeated them.

Talon played a role in Darth Havok's scheme to break his prisoner, Imperial Knight Antares Draco. He conjured a Force illusion depicting the day Havok killed Empress Elliah Fel and nearly died at Draco's hand. As Draco relived the duel, Havok appealed to his guilt, claiming he was too weak to save her. Havok then projected another illusion onto Darth Talon, making her appear as Marasiah Fel. He claimed that Vao and Krieg had died during their escape from Korriban and that Marasiah had been recaptured; Talon kissed Draco to enhance the deception. When Havok threatened to kill her if Draco withheld valuable information, Draco broke down and revealed the existence of a Jedi Hidden Temple on Taivas. Talon departed to relay the information to Darth Krayt as Havok continued to torture Draco.

Eager to confront Cade Skywalker again, Krayt instructed Talon to present a broken Draco to him as a gift. Talon had Draco frozen in carbonite and transported him to the Wheel, where Skywalker was meeting with Calixte, now an enemy of Krayt after being exposed as Fel's spy. Talon infiltrated the Mynock and placed Draco in its cargo hold before briefly dueling Skywalker and fleeing the space station.

Following their defeat at Taivas, the allies launched an attack on Coruscant before the Sith could prepare to invade Bastion. A strike team led by Cade Skywalker, including Wolf Sazen, Shado Vao, Morrigan Corde, Ganner Krieg, Azlyn Rae, and Sigel Dare, infiltrated the Sith Temple on Coruscant. Darth Talon, Darth Stryfe, and other Sith awaited them, prepared to defend Darth Krayt. As the battle commenced, Talon engaged Skywalker in a duel. She attempted to use the Force to defeat him but was overpowered. When Skywalker was distracted by his master's death, she seized the opportunity and fled. Fearing for her master's life, Talon recognized that Skywalker had become more powerful and sought to warn Darth Krayt.

However, Talon's efforts to protect her master proved futile. Skywalker and Krayt fought once more as the final battle of the war raged around them. After the young Jedi succeeded in killing the Dark Lord, the One Sith was left in complete disarray. As the Empire rapidly collapsed without its emperor, paving the way for the rise of the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, Darth Talon and the remaining Sith retreated into hiding across the galaxy, determined to ensure that the One Sith would not perish with its founder. Under the orders of Darth Nihl, the new Dark Lord, all Sith followers were tasked with infiltrating planetary governments throughout the galaxy to strike back against the Alliance and the Jedi from the shadows.

Talon possessed considerable combat prowess. She literally and figuratively "disarmed" Elke Vetter without sustaining any physical injuries. Her skill in combat was further highlighted by her appointment as one of Darth Krayt's two Hands. On Vendaxa, Darth Talon demonstrated her aptitude in lightsaber combat by simultaneously fighting the two Jedi Shado Vao and Wolf Sazen. Only the timely intervention of Princess Fel prevented Talon from killing Master Sazen.

She was known to incorporate acrobatic flips and leaps into her lightsaber combat, possibly indicating her proficiency in Ataru lightsaber combat. Given her frequent one-handed fighting style, she may have also had some application of Makashi. Her combat skills, combined with her rank of Hand, elevated her status above the majority of the Sith.

Talon was also proficient in Force techniques, such as Force lightning, which she used to execute Imperial Knight Elke Vetter. She was able to verbally reveal vital information from Vetter using a Force technique that involved summoning a cyan circle of light before her adversary. She could even manipulate the minds of beasts to aid her in battle against the Jedi. On one occasion, she used a Force push to knock Shado Vao to the ground with such force that he was unable to recover for some time. Talon shared a Force-bond with Cade Skywalker as a result of being healed by him, allowing her to easily sense his feelings. She could also sense Darth Krayt's life force and release him from stasis, which she accomplished with the aid of Force lightning.

Darth Talon demonstrated skill in concealing herself while shadowing a Princess fleeing the burning Imperial Mission that had served as her hiding place. Whether this concealment was physical, Force-affiliated, or a combination of both remains unknown. If Force-affiliated, it may indicate the rare talent of Force concealment.

Talon also appeared to be a capable pilot, possessing the skills to operate starships and a speeder bike.

Darth Talon was conceived by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema as a villain for the Star Wars: Legacy comic series. She played a prominent role in Legacy's marketing, with her image featured on the cover of the series' Issue 0 and as one of three images in the series' February 2006 press release. In 2007, she was displayed on a large banner at Dark Horse Comics's booth at Star Wars Celebration IV, and in 2008, she graced the cover of Legacy 0½, a followup to Issue 0. When initially designing Talon's appearance, Duursema aimed to create a tattooed and fierce science fiction/fantasy rendition of a female Pict warrior, intending for her bare skin to evoke a primitive, rather than exploitative, quality.

Throughout the fifty issues of Legacy and its subsequent miniseries, Star Wars: Legacy—War, Talon was a frequently appearing and significant adversary. Because she was a well-liked character among fans, she was honored with four plastic figures: a miniature figurine from Wizards of the Coast and a 3¾ inch action figure from Hasbro in 2008, a Premium Format Figure from Sideshow Collectibles and a mini bust from Gentle Giant in 2010. She maintained popularity with Star Wars cosplayers, and a "Drawing Darth Talon" page was featured in the kids section of StarWars.com in 2009. Later, three years later, the site displayed "Duel of the Twi'leks," an artwork by Mark McKenna that depicted Talon fighting Aayla Secura, a Jedi from the prequel era; this artwork was later available for purchase at Celebration VI. In broader popular culture, in a 2012 episode of The Big Bang Theory, Howard Wolowitz's bedroom features Talon's Sideshow Collectibles bust. Additionally, Sariah Gallego, a young girl who gained internet fame in 2011 for pledging allegiance to the dark side at Disneyland's Jedi Training Academy, cited her as an inspiration.

Talon was planned to be in a Darth Maul-centric video game known as Battle of the Sith Lords. George Lucas allegedly suggested her inclusion, as he liked the concept of Maul and Talon being friends who interacted well, comparing her to actress Lauren Bacall from the 1940s. Lucas changed the main character to Maul's descendant or a clone when the developers pointed out the characters couldn't have known each other due to the time difference. Talon would have joined forces with Maul's descendant to take on Darth Krayt's empire in the game, but LucasArts canceled the project in 2011. In 2014, Game Informer magazine revealed several pieces of concept art for the game, which included a group shot of Maul, Talon, Savage Opress, and the Mandalorian Death Watch. Although Talon's character design was the same as in Legacy, other concept art showed a potential redesign for Darth Krayt and an officer from the "New Empire."

When preparing the films in 2012 prior to the sale of Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company, George Lucas had the initial plan of having Darth Maul and Darth Talon as the main antagonists of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Lucas envisioned Talon as the aging Maul's apprentice, and he later stated that "She was the new Darth Vader, and most of the action was with her." In early story drafts, she was to corrupt the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, but after J. J. Abrams became involved, her character evolved into a "Jedi Killer," which ultimately became the character of Kylo Ren. According to Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group, "The Jedi Killer morphed from Talon corrupting the son to becoming the son." Phil Szostak, Lucasfilm's Creative Art Manager, referred to Talon as "just one stop of many on the road to Kylo Ren" and assumed that her role in Episode VII's story was not significantly developed. He noted that she was initially considered due to admiration for her character design, though he admitted that he was only involved in the design development and not the story itself.

Concept art of her can be found in 2015's The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which features a drawing by Iain McCaig of Talon wielding two red lightsabers while embraced by a mysterious blue-skinned alien known as "Uber." The book also includes storyboards depicting Talon being harassed in a bar, only to be saved by a Jedi Master, who then sleeps with her before she murders him in his sleep. While writing his book The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I–III, 1999–2005, in which Lucas' original plans for the sequel trilogy were discussed, author Paul Duncan mentioned that one interviewee suggested singer and actress Rihanna as a possible casting choice or model for McCaig's art.

In 2021, Talon was included in the mobile sandbox game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes as part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations for Lucasfilm, alongside other Legends characters like Dash Rendar and Starkiller. Due to her typically revealing outfits, she was given a more family-friendly costume to suit the game's target audience. Her updated costume consisted of a sleeveless crop-top covering her chest, long gloves extending to her upper arms, and armored leggings covering her legs from the waist down. In addition to the visual change, Talon was also given strong synergy with the Sith Triumvirate from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords because of the absence of Krayt or other characters from the One Sith empire.

Talon is the subject of two continuity errors in the Expanded Universe. In nineteenth issue of Legacy, Cade Skywalker's lightsaber impales her, which The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia states resulted in her death. However, she is alive and well as early as Legacy (2006) 22, and Legacy (2006) 23 depicts her recovering from the impalement in a bacta tank. Furthermore, in the second issue of Legacy, Talon is promoted to the rank of Sith Hand in the year 137 ABY, but the sourcebook Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force incorrectly claims that she was already a Hand seven years prior.