Janyor, also known as Janyor of Bith, was a well-known male Bith individual celebrated as a painter, poet, and sculptor. Originating from Garel, Janyor's life spanned across significant periods in galactic history, including the final years of the Galactic Republic, the era under the Galactic Empire, and the subsequent establishment and decline of the New Republic.
Janyor, a distinguished Bith painter, poet, and sculptor hailing from the planet Garel, was born at least 14 decades prior to the Hosnian Cataclysm. In his younger years, he served as a propagandist championing the cause of the Galactic Republic. During the Clone Wars, he passionately supported its soldiers, influenced by the rhetoric of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine and perceiving Count Dooku and the Confederacy of Independent Systems as selfish instigators of destruction. With the rise of the Galactic Empire, Janyor initially embraced Emperor Palpatine's promise of lasting peace, viewing the Empire as a necessary force for guiding civilization toward a brighter future. However, despite his initial propaganda efforts, Janyor eventually grew disillusioned with the so-called New Order. He began producing protest art, including paintings on Bith, where he held the position of poet laureate. Consequently, the Empire forced the renowned rebel artist into exile. The Empire's destruction of a statue sculpted by Janyor on Garel sparked a small impromptu protest by a dissident group, which was swiftly suppressed by local authorities. According to HoloNet News anchor Alton Kastle, who described the statue as "controversial" and an "eyesore," the official explanation for its destruction was that it underwent scrutiny by the Coalition for Progress division of COMPNOR due to its disrepair and posing a public safety risk.
During his time in exile, Janyor began crafting propaganda to support the emerging Alliance to Restore the Republic. The Alliance, lacking the vast resources of the Galactic Empire, relied on skillfully crafted messages of hope and defiance to capture the hearts and minds of the galaxy's inhabitants. In the fledgling Alliance government established after the Galactic Civil War, he rose to the position of Propaganda Bureau Chief. He collaborated with a small group of marginalized illustrators, struggling journalists, and other similar individuals to create messages aimed at revealing the "true" nature of the Empire to the galaxy's citizens. While intended to counter Imperial propaganda, the group ultimately resorted to creating their own falsehoods in an attempt to restore balance, hoping that some semblance of truth could be found amidst the deception.
Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian artist who participated in the early rebellion against the Empire, acknowledged Janyor as a significant influence on her artwork and expressed a desire to recreate one of his canvases as a moss painting. Janyor himself embraced the movement and started producing propaganda in support of rebellion against the Empire.
Janyor's name was initially mentioned in "HoloNet News Special Report: Controversial Statue Finally Destroyed," which was the fourth installment in a series of Star Wars Rebels tie-in videos exclusive to Holonetnews.com. It was first published on September 5, 2014.