A human male named Dez Rydan served as a Jedi Knight within the Jedi Order during the High Republic Era. His physical characteristics included golden skin and black-colored hair.
Prior to his ascension to the rank of Jedi Knight, Dez Rydan served as the Padawan of Jedi Master Jora Malli. Rydan was among the group of Jedi traveling aboard the starship known as the Vessel, destined for the Starlight Beacon. Driven by a yearning for thrilling experiences, Rydan made the choice to withdraw from the Zeitooine mission and instead requested this specific assignment. However, the Vessel's journey was disrupted by the Great Hyperspace Disaster, which left it marooned at an ancient space station.
While exploring the station's lower regions, Rydan found himself trapped behind a door and was seemingly disintegrated by a series of helix rings. This led the other Jedi present – Reath Silas, Cohmac Vitus, and Orla Jareni – to believe that he had met his death. The truth was that Rydan, suffering from a head injury, had been transported through hyperspace via an relay to a planet inhabited by the Drengir, a species of sentient carnivorous plants with a natural connection to the dark side of the Force. The Drengir subjected Rydan to torture for days, attempting to extract information on operating the relay, but his head injury rendered him unresponsive. When the other three Jedi returned to the station, Silas discovered the relay and was transported to the Drengir planet, where the creatures attempted to force Rydan to kill him. The Padawan successfully rescued Rydan and brought him back to the station. In the aftermath, as he recovered from his injuries, Rydan became concerned that his connection to the Force had been severely compromised by his treatment at the hands of the Drengir, leading him to commit to the Barash Vow.
Dez Rydan displayed the qualities of an energetic and outgoing Jedi. Younger members of the Jedi Order held Rydan in high regard. Notably, he maintained a close bond with Padawan Reath Silas, stemming from Silas's role as the new Padawan of Rydan's former master, Jora Malli. The pair would engage in dueling practice sessions, a practice that Silas observed evoked jealousy from other Padawans. Rydan actively sought adventure throughout his service to the Order, a characteristic he acknowledged as a contributing factor to his decision to take the Barash Vow, explaining that he struggled to reconcile his personal desire for adventure with a Jedi's obligation to consistently serve others.
Dez Rydan's initial appearance was in the 2021 young adult novel titled The High Republic: Into the Dark. Within the Characters of Star Wars: The High Republic video series, Dez is depicted as a generalized silhouette, alongside Cohmac Vitus, Reath Silas, and Orla Jareni. Rydan finally obtained a distinct visual representation in the reference book Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi.