Kolob, a male human, made his home on Jakku as a monk and anchorite belonging to the Anchorite sect. Before [Gallius Rax](/article/gallius_rax], as a young man, encountered Sheev Palpatine, Kolob cautioned him to remain and complete his assigned tasks. Rax, however, disobeyed and secretly boarded a starship located in the Plaintive Hand plateau. In the time leading up to the Battle of Jakku, Rax, having advanced to the position of Counselor to the Empire, captured and killed Kolob. Before his demise, Kolob forewarned Rax that he was being pursued, his schemes would fall apart, and his torment had only just begun. Kolob's prophecy materialized when Grand Admiral Rae Sloane brought about Rax's death.
Living a simple existence on the planet of Jakku was Kolob, an anchorite. Being a part of the Anchorite sect, Kolob's beliefs centered around the light side of the Force and the notion that suffering was the foundation of life. During the last years of the Galactic Republic, Kolob managed an orphanage that was situated at a distance from both the Plaintive Hand plateau and the Valley of the Eremite. He treated the orphans as if they were servants, instilling in them the belief that life was rooted in service and suffering. Among his young wards were Galli, Brev, Narawal, and Kateena.
Galli, in his youth, displayed a rebellious nature and grew to resent the demanding chores and Kolob's strictness. At the age of twelve, Galli secretly left the orphanage and made his way to the Plaintive Hand plateau. There, he concealed himself aboard the Imperialis, Sheev Palpatine's luxurious yacht. After Palpatine discovered him, Galli was presented with a choice: death or service to the Sith Lord. Galli chose to serve, guarding a clandestine excavation within the Valley of the Eremite.
Upon his return to Jakku, Galli enticed several other children, including Brev, Narawal, and Kateena, to leave the orphanage. He used them to protect the excavation site, later eliminating them to maintain its secrecy. This site evolved into the Emperor Palpatine's Jakku Observatory, which contained a holographic map depicting the Unknown Regions, various relics from the Sith Empire, and a borehole extending into the planet's core. The Observatory played a crucial role in the Emperor's Contingency plan. As a reward for his dedication, the Emperor recruited Galli into the Galactic Empire. Galli then took on the name Gallius Rax, eventually rising to the ranks of Fleet Admiral and, subsequently, Counselor to the Empire.
Many years passed before Kolob encountered Galli once more. Following the Attack on Chandrila, Gallius Rax assumed control of the remaining forces of the Galactic Empire, leading them back to Jakku. As part of the Contingency, Rax intended to draw the New Republic to Jakku for a decisive confrontation with the Empire. Rae Sloane, the former [Grand Admiral](/article/grand_admiral] and Brentin Lore Wexley, a former rebel operative, paid a visit to Kolob's dwelling while investigating Rax's plans for the Empire. Kolob readily agreed to assist when Sloane requested his help. From Kolob, Sloane and Brentin discovered that Rax's real name was Galli, and that he had dedicated years to guarding a mysterious location in the Valley of the Eremite. Kolob also informed them that Rax had hired Niima, a Hutt crime boss, to guard the path to Plaintive Hand, which led to the Valley of the Eremite.
Before the Battle of Jakku, Counselor Rax had Kolob abducted and taken to the main Imperial base situated beyond the Goazon Badlands. Initially, Kolob did not recognize his former ward. When Rax mocked his memory, Kolob retorted that his mind was sharp and capable of perceiving all the suffering in the world. Kolob was about to lecture Rax on the Eremite's teachings on torment when Rax interrupted. It was then that Kolob recognized Rax as Galli, the boy who had departed. Kolob then concluded that Rax was responsible for the recent child abductions on Jakku, as he had incited the other orphans at the orphanage to rebel.
Rax responded that he and the other children had found purpose away from his foolish faith. When Kolob demanded to know what had become of the other children, Rax responded that they had fulfilled their purpose. Kolob then questioned why Rax was kidnapping children again. Rax replied that the children would serve a purpose for him. In fact, he intended for them to becoming his new personal guard of child soldiers, who would later become the first in a new generation of stormtroopers. At that point, Rax was joined by the Emperor's former adviser Yupe Tashu, who wore a red Sith mask.
Tashu remarked that Kolob was affiliated with the light side. He recalled that Kolob's predecessors had bound themselves to the Jedi a thousand years ago. When Tashu handed Rax a sacrificial knife, Kolob realized that Rax meant to kill him. He derided his former charge as a little savage who had not grown a whit. In response, Rax told Kolob that he had rejected his teachings of servitude and suffering before plunging the blade into Kolob's middle. When Rax added that no more children would be swept into his hand, Kolob smiled and told him that all life was suffering and that Rax's suffering was just beginning. He warned Rax that he was being hunted and that his plans would unravel before breathing his last.
Following Kolob's death, Tashu commented that it was a necessary sacrifice to strengthen the dark side of the Force and ensure the success of their mission. In the end, Kolob's prophecy was realized. Sloane, aided by Brentin and his wife Norra Wexley, a New Republic operative, hunted down and killed Rax. They successfully thwarted Rax's plan to detonate Jakku and annihilate both the Imperial forces and the New Republic Defense Fleet.
During the final years of the Galactic Republic and the Age of the Empire, Kolob, a male human, lived his life. By the time of the Battle of Jakku, Kolob had aged into an old man, his skin marked with wrinkles, deep lines, and blotches across his face, neck, and hands. Despite his advanced age, Kolob possessed a sharp mind, capable of perceiving all the suffering present in the world. As an Anchorite, Kolob held the belief that life was fundamentally based on suffering and servitude. The wards of his orphanage, especially the young Gallius Rax, regarded him as a stern master. Rax harbored hatred for Kolob due to his strict upbringing and the teachings he considered foolish. Even when facing death, Kolob remained defiant towards Rax. Kolob also seemed to possess the gift of foresight, warning Rax that he was being hunted and that his plans would ultimately fall apart.
Kolob was first referenced in Aftermath: Life Debt, a 2016 novel penned by Chuck Wendig. He made an appearance as a supporting character in Aftermath: Empire's End, the 2017 sequel to the book.