Zez-Kai Ell

Biography

During the Mandalorian Wars, Ell held a position as one of the Masters on the High Council. Furthermore, he participated in the banishment of Meetra Surik from the Jedi Order. During the Mandalorian Wars, his own Padawan succumbed to the dark side; however, Master Ell did not fault his apprentice for choosing to engage in the conflict, as he comprehended the reasons behind his apprentice's decision to follow the Jedi who went to war. When Surik was banished from the Order, he felt the Council had missed a significant opportunity: to gain insight into why numerous Jedi were abandoning the Order and to assess potential flaws in their teachings.

Following the Jedi Civil War, as the First Jedi Purge began, Ell chose to go into self-imposed exile on Nar Shaddaa, hoping to evade detection by the Sith. Despite being aware of the bounty placed on the remaining Jedi by G0-T0, he took no action to prevent it. However, Surik eventually arrived on Nar Shaddaa with the intention of locating him and stopping G0-T0. When Mira, a bounty hunter whom Ell had employed to safeguard Surik, was captured, Ell emerged from his seclusion and resolved to assist the Exile in stopping G0-T0.

After G0-T0's yacht suffered destruction, Surik and Ell were finally able to converse. He shared numerous insights with her, including his own reservations about the Order's teachings and his decision to depart from the Order. When the topic of Revan arose, he expressed his belief that Revan's redemption was not genuinely his own choice, despite having learned Revan's identity and maintaining adherence to the light side before the destruction of the Star Forge. It is probable that he was referring to the mind-wipe itself. Therefore, he suggested that redemption was not Revan's choice, but rather the choice made by his programmed counterpart.

He considered that the Council had erred by imposing a new identity on Revan's wiped mind, regardless of the benefits derived from a Jedi-controlled Revan. He also conveyed to Surik that she was right to act and participate in the Mandalorian Wars, when only a few Jedi had followed in her footsteps.

Shortly after Surik sought him out, he convened with Masters Vrook Lamar and Kavar at the restored Jedi Enclave to address Surik's inquiries. Ell met his demise when Darth Traya employed Force drain on him and the other Masters, severing their connection to the Force, after their attempt to cut Surik off from the Force in order to seal the breach she had created. However, he and the other Jedi Masters could not survive without it and died.

Personality and traits

Zez-Kai Ell exhibited a more openly thoughtful and introspective nature compared to some of his fellow Jedi Masters. He readily voiced his conviction that the Jedi Council's inaction contributed to Revan's downfall, even asserting that the blame did not solely rest on the Jedi who departed to fight, but also on the Council. Following the Jedi Civil War, he ceased to identify as a Jedi, expressing his departure from the Order due to disillusionment with both the Jedi Order and himself.

Indeed, upon the Exile's encounter with him, he appeared to have succumbed to depression, occasionally displaying what seemed like a death wish during their interactions. Despite this sense of disillusionment, he maintained loyalty to the Order and continued to trust in Master Kavar's strategy to draw out the Sith by locating the Exile.

Powers and abilities

Zez-Kai Ell was a master in advanced Force forms and a skilled expert in lightsaber combat, practicing Ataru, Shien, Niman and Juyo. He used a violet-colored double-bladed lightsaber.

Behind the scenes

Billy Brown provided his voice.

Should the player opt for the dark side path in Knights of the Old Republic II, the Exile and Ell engage in combat on Nar Shaddaa, culminating in the Exile's victory and acquisition of his lightsaber combat technique. The Exile retains the option to eliminate Ell even if the player chooses the light-side path.

It is conceivable that Master Ell was unaware that Revan eventually discovered his true identity yet remained dedicated to the Jedi and the Republic. This could partially explain his disbelief that Revan's redemption was his own choice. However, it is also possible that he may be referring to the reprogramming that gave Revan his new identity rather than the events surrounding the Star Forge.

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, crafting his double-bladed lightsaber is achievable with sufficient skill in Artifice. In this game, it is orange rather than purple.