Guun Han Saresh was a Jedi Knight of the male Twi'lek species, most notably recognized for his actions during the Great Hunt of 3993 BBY. Saresh, who hailed from the planet of Taris, was born into a wealthy and influential family known for its history of Force-sensitivity. At some point in his life, Saresh was inducted into the Jedi Order, where he underwent Jedi training and achieved the rank of Knight. Following the Great Sith War, Saresh became part of a hunting group of Jedi Knights, including Humans such as Duron Qel-Droma and Shaela Nuur, all of whom distinguished themselves in the Great Hunt—a combined Jedi effort to eradicate Sith-spawned creatures throughout the galaxy.
In the year 3993 BBY, a week after the official conclusion of the Hunt, Saresh, Qel-Droma, and Nuur received orders to travel to Korriban on a clandestine mission to eliminate the dangerous terentatek species from the Sith homeworld. However, Saresh's disapproval of the developing romantic relationship between Qel-Droma and Nuur caused a rift within the group, which led to the Twi'lek abandoning them on Korriban. He instead departed for Kashyyyk to hunt a terentatek rumored to dwell in the planet's dark Shadowlands. The creature was indeed present, and Saresh prepared a trap; however, when Saresh launched his attack, his Force-imbued blade shattered against the terentatek's tough exterior. Left without defense, Saresh was quickly consumed by the beast.
Guun Han Saresh, a male Twi'lek, was born into a powerful and affluent family residing on the planet of Taris. This family, distinguished not only by their wealth and political influence but also by their reputation for cruelty and arrogance, carried the Force within their bloodline, with numerous members having previously joined the ranks of the Jedi Order. Eventually, Saresh, the designated heir to the family's extensive fortune, was also found to possess Force-sensitivity and was subsequently taken in for Jedi training. To commemorate Saresh's acceptance into the Order, his father commissioned the creation of a potent headband known as the Circlet of Saresh. To ensure that this gift would not lead Saresh down a path of arrogance, his father arranged for the Circlet to be wearable only by someone dedicated to the light. In time, Saresh achieved the rank of Jedi Knight, serving in this capacity in the period immediately following the galaxy-spanning Great Sith War. This conflict, concluding in 3996 BBY, saw the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic pitted against the Sith Empire led by former Jedi Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. Despite the defeat of the Sith Lords, many Sith-created monstrosities continued to exist on planets across the galaxy, posing a threat to both the Jedi and the general population. In response, the Jedi High Council initiated the Great Hunt, a unified effort by the Order to systematically eliminate these creatures.
Over the subsequent years, Saresh would distinguish himself during the Great Hunt. While creatures such as Sith wyrms and silan were targeted, the terentatek proved to be Saresh's most significant adversary. These creatures, alchemically created by Exar Kun, were about half the size of a rancor and sustained themselves by feeding on Force-sensitive blood. During the Great Hunt, Saresh joined a team of Jedi including Duron Qel-Droma—cousin to the infamous Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma—Shaela Nuur, and Cale Berkona, who together journeyed to planets such as Tython, Onderon, and Yavin 4 in their pursuit of terentateks. The team achieved considerable success, and Saresh, along with his colleagues, earned a reputation as one of the most skilled hunting teams within the Jedi Order. In 3993 BBY, Saresh traveled with his companions to the desert world of Tatooine. After defeating several terentateks, Saresh and the group tracked the last of these creatures on Tatooine to a secluded cave. Although the terentatek killed one of their number, Qel-Droma was able to confuse the beast using a mental Force power, allowing Saresh and the others to move in for the final blow. After slaying the terentatek, the group burned the remains of their prey and departed, with Saresh supporting an injured Berkona as they returned to their starship.
A mere five days after the ordeal on Tatooine, the Jedi High Council officially declared the end of the Great Hunt. However, just two days later, Saresh, Qel-Droma, and Nuur were summoned before the lesser Council overseeing the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. There, they were informed that the High Council had specifically selected them for a secret mission: to travel to the Sith homeworld of Korriban and rid the planet of terentateks. Given the need for speed and secrecy, the High Council chose Saresh, Qel-Droma, and Nuur, believing them to be the most capable hunters the Order had to offer. Following this briefing, Saresh discussed the mission with Berkona, who had not been included in the Korriban team. Saresh reassured his friend that he was not overly concerned about the mission's risks, although he expressed doubt about its potential success unless Qel-Droma and Nuur could control their feelings for each other. The following day, Saresh's group departed for Korriban, making their way to the relatively populated settlement of Dreshdae. In Dreshdae, Saresh, Qel-Droma, and Nuur secured a safehouse, which they used as a base while investigating the whereabouts of terentateks in the town.
During his time on Korriban, Saresh encountered numerous rumors about terentateks, including tales of a "great beast" dwelling in the dark Shadowlands of Kashyyyk. Saresh initially chose to disregard this information, focusing instead on Korriban alongside Qel-Droma and Nuur. Their efforts led them to a cantina in the heart of Dreshdae, where Saresh noticed a young female Twi'lek Sith apprentice at the bar. Saresh bought the Sith a number of Tarisian ales and eventually seduced her. After spending the night with her, Saresh awoke early the next morning and stole a datacard that would provide the Jedi hunters with access to the Valley of the Dark Lords, where they suspected the terentateks resided. However, upon returning to the safehouse, he discovered Qel-Droma and Nuur in a romantic embrace. Angered by their violation of the Jedi Code's prohibitions against attachment and passion, Saresh expressed his profound disappointment in his teammates. Accusing them of treading the path of the dark side, Saresh found himself in a heated argument with Nuur, which Qel-Droma quickly intervened to stop. Deeply concerned, Saresh questioned Qel-Droma about whether he and Nuur could control their passion to ensure the mission's success—Qel-Droma responded by stating that they would not renounce their love. Disheartened by his friend's response, Saresh gave them the key to the Valley of the Dark Lords and departed.
Saresh abandoned Korriban, traveling to Kashyyyk to investigate the "great beast" he had heard about. Convinced it was a terentatek, Saresh inquired with many of the local Wookiees about the stories—the natives informed him that the beast had killed numerous Jedi over the years. One of the Wookiees Saresh encountered was Freyyr, the Chieftain of the village of Rwookrrorro, who remembered him decades later as a proud and boastful young man. Three days after abandoning the mission to Korriban, Saresh descended into the Shadowlands, intending to hunt a different terentatek. Using a compound bow, Saresh killed a mykal and strung up its corpse as bait. Afterward, Saresh drew his Force-imbued blade and positioned himself on some high rocks, awaiting the arrival of the "great beast." Soon enough, the beast, indeed a terentatek, emerged to feed upon the mykal. When the terentatek was within striking range, Saresh leaped from his perch, stabbing the creature with his blade. However, upon withdrawing the sword, he was horrified to discover that the terentatek's tough hide had shattered the blade at its hilt. Defenseless, Saresh could only watch as the terentatek attacked and devoured him, swallowing the Circlet of Saresh along with the Twi'lek. Saresh's death was felt, light-years away, by Nuur and Qel-Droma as they ventured into the Valley of the Dark Lords. Saresh's former compatriots met the same fate, both being killed by terentateks in the dark underbelly of Korriban.
Although the Jedi Council was reasonably certain that Saresh, Qel-Droma, and Nuur had all perished on their final mission, their exact fate remained unknown for years due to the inherent dangers of searching for their bodies. However, their stories were not forgotten. In 3956 BBY, a Jedi Knight named Deesra Luur Jada recounted the tale of the Jedi hunters to Revan, a Dark Lord of the Sith–turned–Jedi trainee who would later play a significant role in the ongoing Jedi Civil War. While on Kashyyyk searching for an ancient Rakatan Star Map shortly thereafter, Revan encountered Freyyr, now exiled to the Shadowlands, who told the Jedi about his encounter with Saresh years prior. Soon after, Revan slew the terentatek that had killed Saresh decades earlier, discovering the Circlet of Saresh and the dead Twi'lek's datapad in the process. Additionally, the Circlet may have been found by the Jedi Knight Meetra Surik during her adventures across the galaxy during the Dark Wars years later. One of Saresh's descendants, Leontyne Saresh, served as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic during the time of the Galactic War with a reconstituted Sith Empire, assuming the position in 3640 BBY.
Although Guun Han Saresh considered himself a devoted servant of the light, others, including Duron Qel-Droma, Shaela Nuur, and Freyyr, remembered him as proud, arrogant, and boastful. Indeed, Saresh possessed extreme confidence in his abilities, mistakenly believing that he could defeat a terentatek single-handedly. He was a dedicated hunter who prioritized the success of his mission above all else—and if he felt that success was unattainable or that the risk was too great, he had no reservations about abandoning the mission.
Saresh also placed considerable importance on fulfilling the wishes of the Jedi Council, which he used to justify many of his actions. He believed in and trusted the Council's wisdom, but he did not consider its members omniscient or infallible. Despite being close friends with Qel-Droma and Nuur, Saresh strongly opposed the romantic nature of their relationship, viewing it as a path to the dark side, and he frequently quoted the Jedi Code when rebuking them for their attachment. Yet, he had no qualms about seducing a Sith apprentice while on Korriban, although he claimed that he did not enjoy it, doing so only to advance their investigation. Still, Saresh genuinely cared for Qel-Droma and Nuur's well-being and hoped to save them from themselves. Ultimately, however, he was solely focused on the hunt and eliminating terentateks wherever they went, by any means necessary. Saresh had green skin and red eyes.
As a Jedi Knight, Guun Han Saresh was well-trained in the use of the Force. Unlike the other members of his hunting group, he avoided using a lightsaber in combat, instead preferring a Force-imbued sword. He employed a highly aggressive style in melee combat, overwhelming his opponents with powerful strikes from his blade. Saresh was also skilled with a compound bow, with which he was an excellent shot—he used his bow when hunting lesser creatures such as mykal.
Guun Han Saresh was first mentioned in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Although he does not appear in person, Saresh's datapad and the Circlet of Saresh can be found on Kashyyyk. Additionally, the Circlet may also be found in Knights of the Old Republic's sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Saresh made his first direct appearance in "Shadows and Light," one of the stories featured in 2005's Star Wars Tales 23. In the comic, Saresh was illustrated by Dustin Weaver. Saresh was also mentioned in a Codex entry within the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, along with a mention in the reference book The New Essential Chronology and an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.