Ekim Ryelli was a Jedi Master of the Human species. During the Clone Wars, he was a member of both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. He met his death on Nicht Ka in 19 BBY at the hands of Malleus, a former Jedi who had succumbed to the influence of the dark side of the Force.
In 22 BBY, he and Lumas Etima, his apprentice, were present within the Petranaki arena during the First Battle of Geonosis. While in combat, Ryelli suffered the loss of three fingers; however, Etima was overwhelmed by the large number of enemy battle droids and subsequently died in the arena. Ryelli, both physically and emotionally scarred, lost his desire for battle. As a result, he retired from combat duties and requested a reassignment to become a Jedi archaeologist.
Four years later, as the Clone Wars drew to a close, the Jedi Master was dispatched to Nicht Ka, a largely forgotten planet situated near the border of the former Sith Empire, where a strange structure had been found. Upon his arrival, he was accompanied by two members of the Exploration Corps: a Givin astrogator named Staguu Itincoovar, and a Human pilot named Telloti Cillmam'n. The archaeologist then commenced his examination of carvings located on the walls. He permitted Cillmam'n to explore the area while Itincoovar searched through their starship's database. Sometime later, Ryelli discovered the pilot in another room, wearing a suit of ancient armor that he sensed was saturated with the dark side of the Force. Cillmam'n then confronted Ryelli, accusing him of abandoning the fight after the events on Geonosis. A fierce lightsaber duel ensued between the two men. Despite Ryelli initially gaining the advantage, Cillmam'n seized the high ground by employing a secondary blade concealed within his lightsaber's hilt. At the precise moment that Itincoovar attempted to contact him via comlink to relay news of the Republic's victory in the Clone Wars, Ekim Ryelli was beheaded.