Hamato Xiono

A distinguished politician, Hamato Xiono hailed from the planet of Hosnian Prime. He maintained neutrality throughout the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Following the Alliance's victory and the establishment of the New Republic, Xiono served as a senator on the Senate Defense Council within the fledgling government's Galactic Senate. In 9 ABY, Xiono, along with New Republic Chancellor Mon Mothma, Senators Lorrin Mawood, Rodrigo, and a Gran senator, participated in a Senate Oversight Committee meeting via hologram to confer with General Hera Syndulla. Lieutenant Vic Hawkins forewarned Syndulla of Xiono's presence as she approached the meeting.

After Xiono urged the meeting's immediate commencement, Syndulla briefed the assembly on Imperial loyalists who orchestrated an incident on Corellia, suggesting it signaled broader Imperial activity—specifically, the return of Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo. When Syndulla requested authorization to lead an investigative task force to the Denab system, Xiono objected, suspecting she aimed to divert New Republic resources to her search for the missing Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger. Their debate continued, with Xiono emphasizing the need to prioritize aiding New Republic citizens over Syndulla's personal quest. Syndulla countered by prompting Xiono to admit he had remained uninvolved in the Galactic Civil War, not siding with either faction.

Following Mawood and Rodrigo's agreement with Xiono, Syndulla stressed Thrawn's exceptional abilities compared to typical Imperial officers, imploring the committee to help avert a new war. Xiono insisted that both Thrawn and Bridger were dead, prompting Syndulla's sharp disagreement. Mothma then excused Syndulla to confer privately with Xiono and the others, leading the general to bid farewell. Syndulla later informed former Jedi Ahsoka Tano and her Padawan, Sabine Wren, about Xiono and the senators' rejection of their request for assistance.

Syndulla, disregarding her orders, subsequently journeyed to the Denab system with a squadron led by Captain Carson Teva to aid Tano and Wren. The architect droid Huyang expressed surprise at her arrival, assuming New Republic authorization. He was less surprised upon learning she was defying orders, yet reassured her when she pondered whether Xiono and the senators might be correct. Consequently, the senators dispatched a small contingent of New Republic vessels to retrieve her for a hearing on Coruscant, potentially leading to the permanent revocation of her rank if found in violation.

During her tribunal on Coruscant, Xiono, seated beside the Mon Calamari Gial Ackbar, criticized Syndulla for disregarding orders and acting as if the New Republic were still a rebellion, pursuing personal objectives using her rank's privileges. Syndulla asserted that her actions were to safeguard the New Republic, clarifying she was not ignoring general orders but specifically him. When prompted by Mothma, Xiono acknowledged an incident on Seatos but dismissed the general's account as a fanciful tale. Syndulla reiterated evidence of Imperial Remnants activity, yet the senator dismissed the idea, claiming Imperial numbers were dwindling.

From the audience, Teva reminded Xiono of Moff Gideon and the conflict on Mandalore. Xiono countered that Gideon acted alone, deeming Thrawn's return unlikely and advocating for Syndulla's court-martial for pursuing personal interests. His motion was interrupted by the arrival of protocol droid C-3PO, sent by Senator Leia Organa. Despite Xiono's objections, C-3PO recounted that Organa had personally approved Syndulla's mission to Seatos, unaware of Xiono and the Defense Council's prior denial. Although Xiono opposed admitting evidence from a "mere droid," offending astromech droid C1-10P, Mothma declared C-3PO's evidence conclusive and adjourned the session.

Around 14 ABY, Hamato and Kazuda's mother welcomed Kazuda Xiono into their lives. The parents raised their son on Hosnian Prime—which became the New Republic's capital by 28 ABY—their family enjoying a privileged status within its aristocracy.

When Kazuda sought to participate in his first race, his father disapproved, deeming him unprepared. Nevertheless, Kazuda triumphed, proving his father wrong and earning an aurodium trophy. Hamato facilitated his son's service to the New Republic by leveraging his influence to secure Kazuda's enrollment in a New Republic Defense Force academy, further ensuring that Kazuda's training was put to use by helping him join the New Republic Defense Fleet. This enabled Kazuda to pursue his aspirations of becoming a highly skilled pilot in the New Republic Starfighter Corps, though Hamato envisioned his son following in his footsteps as a senator.

In 34 ABY, shortly after his rendezvous with the Resistance during the Cold War between the New Republic and the First Order, Kazuda chose to join the Resistance, believing the First Order—a successor to the Galactic Empire—threatened the Republic's place in the galaxy. Following this decision, the younger Xiono felt compelled to inform Hamato. Contacting his father via a scrambled hologram transmission on a CR90 corvette, Kazuda intended to request assistance. However, Hamato—who viewed the Resistance as extremists—reprimanded his son for associating with them and rebuked him for seeking help, leading Kazuda to abandon his request.

After Kazuda began his service as a Resistance spy, stationed at the supertanker fuel depot Colossus on Castilon, he encountered the Aleena Grevel, who harassed him over an alleged debt of 1,500 credits resulting from Kazuda throwing a holodart into the gorgmonger Bolza Grool. The young Xiono claimed insufficient funds but offered to contact his parents for assistance. Later that day, Kazuda lamented his reliance on his father's intervention and resolved to succeed in his mission—as well as his race against racer Torra Doza—independently. During his mission, Hamato's son confided in the Resistance astromech droid BB-8 about his father's resistance in his childhood and how his trophy stood as a charm of luck due to his victory in spite of his father.

During the First Order occupation of the Colossus, Kazuda was apprehended by stormtroopers and subsequently escaped. Following his escape, First Order Security Bureau agent Tierny presented mechanic Tamara Ryvora with Kazuda's New Republic service record on a datapad, identifying Hamato as his father.

Later that year, Kazuda believed he possessed sufficient evidence of the First Order's occupation of the Colossus to present to his father for a case in the New Republic Senate. However, the First Order soon rose to power, proclaiming the end of the New Republic and deploying the planet-destroying superweapon Starkiller Base's superlaser to obliterate the Hosnian system, including Xiono's homeworld, Hosnian Prime. Witnessing the cataclysm, Kazuda was horrified, fearing the loss of his father, friends, and the Senate.

Following the Battle of Castilon and the Resistance's evacuation from D'Qar, Senator Xiono and Kazuda's mother attempted to contact Kazuda for days. Eventually, the senator reached his son via a specially coded message, assuring him of their survival, as they had been off-planet during the destruction. Hamato declined his son's request to meet the Resistance at D'Qar, citing the First Order's identification of Kazuda as a spy. Senator Xiono then cautioned his son about pursuing bounty hunters before the transmission ended. Despite his father's warning, Kazuda resolved to continue his service to the Resistance.

After Kazuda went on the run from the First Order alongside the Colossus's inhabitants, the group eventually found what they believed to be refuge on the planet Aeos Prime. Kazuda resolved to continue his service to the Resistance despite his father's warning and later recounted his resolve to the endeavor to the Colossus' Captain Imanuel Doza, noting that he would not leave the fight even though his father wished him to.

In 35 ABY, following the Battle of Exegol, historian Beaumont Kin referenced Xiono in his historical book The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. Kin included a public relations image of Xiono, citing his neutrality during the Galactic Civil War as an example of a factor contributing to the New Republic's internal strife. Kin also partially attributed the New Republic's internal conflict to the attitude of senators like Xiono who believed that, with the war concluded, politicians should prioritize maintaining peace over preparing for future conflicts. A memo from Xiono to Mothma was cited, dismissing concerns about ex-Imperial sabotage as paranoia and characterizing lingering ex-rebel factions as warmongers unwilling to accept the Galactic Civil War's end. Kin further asserted that Xiono's and others' refusal to acknowledge the persistence of Imperial sympathies contributed to the threat posed by Imperial loyalists to the New Republic.

Hamato Xiono was a human male. He possessed tan skin, prominent cheekbones, and brown [eyes](/article/eye]. In 9 ABY, he sported stubbled facial hair and black hair extending to the base of his neck. By 34 ABY, he was clean-shaven, with his hair now a lighter shade of brown with graying streaks, styled in a short cut.

Despite his allegiance to the New Republic, General Syndulla accused Senator Xiono of waiting out the Galactic Civil War to see which faction would emerge victorious. Furthermore, he dismissed the notion of lingering Imperial remnants posing a threat to the New Republic, advocating for the New Republic to prioritize assisting its citizens over engaging in warfare. He opposed utilizing New Republic resources for personal agendas, a stance contradicted by his actions in supporting his son's career. The senator regarded the Resistance as a band of extremists and expressed dismay at his son's association with them. Xiono harbored a degree of anti-droid sentiment, questioning the legitimacy of evidence presented by droids in legal proceedings.

Originating from a background of wealth and influence, the senator supported his son Kazuda Xiono's aspirations to become a New Republic pilot. While Hamato was willing to assist Kazuda in his endeavors, he felt that his son relied on him for everything—from entering the academy to joining the New Republic Navy. Adversely, Kazuda felt that his father's support was not for him but for his father himself. Ultimately, Kazuda kept his relationship with the Resistance a secret from his father, hoping to achieve something on his own without the senator's help for once. Likewise, Kazuda believed that his father—and other senators like him—would not recognize the First Order as a threat even with intel revealing their operations, such as weapons manufacturing. However, upon learning of his family's survival of the Hosnian Cataclysm, Kazuda urged his father to find the Resistance, a request Hamato refused, believing it would place their family in too much danger.

During his meeting with Mothma and Syndulla and Syndulla's later court-martial hearing in 9 ABY, Hamato Xiono wore a green, wrapped tunic. During his transmission to Kazuda in 34 ABY, he donned a red, sleeveless tunic adorned with gold trimmings and shoulder pads, paired with a black undershirt featuring gray and gold cufflinks. He also wore a black belt with a gold trim and gray pants with a gold stripe on the outer side of each leg. His boots were black with three straps on each, and he wore black gloves. He bore a gold insignia on his chest.

Hamato Xiono made his debut appearance via hologram in "The Recruit," the premiere episode of Season One of the animated television series Star Wars Resistance, which aired on October 7, 2018. While his name was not spoken in the episode, it was credited. He was first fully pictured in the first trailer for Resistance's second season, uploaded to the official Star Wars YouTube channel on August 14, 2019. Actor Tzi Ma voiced him in Resistance. Xiono's costume design for Resistance was meticulously crafted to establish him as a relatively affluent senator with readily apparent military connections. Amy Beth Christenson, art director for Star Wars Resistance, designed his concept art on December 1, 2017.

Xiono transitioned to live-action, portrayed by Nelson Lee, in "Part Three: Time to Fly," the third episode of the Disney+ television series Ahsoka, which premiered on August 29, 2023. Throughout Ahsoka, he is exclusively referenced as "Senator Xiono" in the episodes, captions, and credits. His identity as Hamato was officially confirmed following an update to his Databank entry on StarWars.com.

In a 2024 interview on the Hall of Justice podcast, Lee revealed that he missed his cue during the initial take of the scene depicting Hera Syndulla's court-martial trial due to his excitement at the presence of Anthony Daniels portraying C-3PO. He also noted that he did not initially know what he was auditioning for beyond the role being Disney-related. Lee further described his being selected for the role of Hamato Xiono as an honor and stated that he found online discourse surrounding hatred and dislike for the character amusing. He also said that he had watched Resistance in preparation for the role and "geeked out" knowing he would play Xiono. Lee described the experience of playing an antagonistic character as cool.

During the Podathon 2024 charity livestream, Resistance director Justin Ridge mentioned in an interview that the character of Xiono was always intended to serve as a contrasting figure to the Resistance. He found it quite surreal to witness Xiono fulfilling this very role in Ahsoka. Resistance showrunner Brandon Auman, in an interview with Wookieepedia, expressed his excitement about Xiono's appearance in Ahsoka. He cited Xiono as one of the characters originating from Resistance who were fortunate enough to "live on" in subsequent Star Wars productions. Auman also indicated that if Resistance had been granted a third season, the show would have delved deeper into Xiono's relationship with the First Order. Xiono might have collaborated with the First Order—not out of any sense of loyalty, but because he perceived it as a necessary action—after initially attempting to play both sides. Furthermore, the narrative would have revealed that Xiono was involved in constructing starships for the First Order.

Moreover, Auman disclosed that initial concepts for the third season included a storyline where Xiono would attempt to recruit Kazuda into the First Order. This was motivated by Xiono's belief that the Resistance was doomed following the eventual return of Darth Sidious, a fact he would have been aware of. This plot would have created conflict between them. The executive producer further explained that Kazuda would have refused his father's request to join the First Order, causing a rift between him and the rest of his family, who would have all been aligned with the First Order by that point. However, the show's production was unfortunately halted after its second season. This storyline would have also featured Hamato, Kazuda's mother, and Kazuda's older sister. However, the show's production was unfortunately halted after its second season.

When questioned on the official Wookieepedia Discord server about whether an excerpt from the 2024 reference book Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire suggested Xiono had served in the Galactic Republic, author Chris Kempshall responded that the decision was not his. Kempshall further clarified that the passage could be interpreted in two ways: either Xiono served the Republic, or he was simply mentioned alongside individuals who had served the Republic. Given Kempshall's inability to definitively confirm Xiono's service to the Republic, this article currently operates under the assumption that he did not.