Ilyana was a Nightsister originating from the planet of Dathomir; specifically, she was a female Dathomirian [Zabrak](/article/zabrak]. As a member of Mother Talzin's clan, Ilyana shared a close bond with her fellow Nightsister, Merrin, and the pair would often venture out in secret to concoct potions within the swamps. After Merrin nursed Ilyana back to health following an injury, Ilyana expressed her gratitude with a kiss and a gold necklace, which Merrin subsequently wore every day. During the massacre of the Nightsisters in 20 BBY by General Grievous and his droid army, Ilyana met her death. Merrin, among the few who survived, laid Ilyana to rest alongside the other fallen witches. Later, Merrin would remember Ilyana as the girl she once loved, and after becoming a part of the crew aboard the Stinger Mantis luxury yacht, she shared her memories of Ilyana with the former Jedi Master, Cere Junda.
Ilyana belonged to the Nightsisters, a coven of Force-sensitive female Dathomirian Zabrak witches who resided on their homeworld, the planet Dathomir situated in the Outer Rim Territories. During the Clone Wars, a period of conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, she was a member of the clan under the leadership of Mother Talzin. She developed a close relationship with her fellow Nightsister, Merrin, and the two would secretly slip away to create potions within the swamps of Dathomir. Merrin had aspirations of a future together, and during Ilyana's recovery from an injury, Merrin provided her with the care she needed. As a silent gesture of thanks, Ilyana crafted a gold necklace for Merrin, presenting it to her with a kiss, which Merrin considered to be her first. Ilyana urged Merrin to always keep the necklace as a memento of their bond.
In 20 BBY, as retribution for the schemes of Mother Talzin and fellow Nightsister Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku, the leader of the Separatists, commanded General Grievous of the Separatist Droid Army to journey to Dathomir and massacre the Nightsisters. While Merrin survived the assault, Ilyana was among the numerous Nightsisters who were killed during the carnage. Upon discovering her lifeless body, Merrin was compelled to close Ilyana's eyes, wrap her up, and bury her alongside the other fallen Nightsisters, marking their final farewell. Merrin remained as one of the few survivors of the attack, mistakenly believing herself to be the last of the Nightsisters.
As Ilyana had wished, Merrin continued to wear the necklace every day. It served as a constant reminder of the pain and abrupt end that could accompany trust and love, while also evoking feelings of homesickness. Occasionally, when the necklace brushed against her chest, she would experience vivid sensory memories of Ilyana crafting it, the sensation of Ilyana's hands, or their first kiss.
In 14 BBY, shortly after Merrin encountered the Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis and joined the crew of the Stinger Mantis luxury yacht during their covert mission to restore the Jedi Order, she formed a bond with the crew's former Jedi Master Cere Junda, whom she came to view as family. On one occasion, after Merrin inquired if Junda had ever buried someone she loved while fighting in the Clone Wars, the conversation shifted to Merrin's experiences with Ilyana. Drawing from her own past, Junda admitted that Merrin might never fully move on and that she herself never had. Merrin pondered whether it was odd to find solace in knowing she was not alone, to which Junda responded that it was not.
At some point between 12 BBY and 11 BBY, Merrin developed an infatuation with Chellwinark Frethylrin, a Keshiri and former Imperial analyst. When Merrin's feelings for Fret surfaced, she would occasionally be reminded of her time with Ilyana.
Ilyana was initially referenced in the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, developed by Respawn Entertainment. While not explicitly named in the 2023 novel Jedi: Battle Scars, penned by Sam Maggs, she is alluded to in several scenes. Although the dialogue in Jedi: Fallen Order did not explicitly state that Merrin's love for Ilyana was romantic, Maggs confirmed in an interview that Respawn had conceived of Merrin as pansexual and incorporated lines into the game that hinted at it. Her novel realized the developer's desire to make that aspect of Merrin's character undeniably canonical. Based on the close relationship between Merrin and Cere Junda as portrayed in the novel, this article assumes that the optional crew dialogue about Ilyana in Fallen Order canonically transpired.