Shay Jelavan was a male Human hailing from Taris. He was the younger sibling of Shad Jelavan, a Jedi Padawan. Shay became an orphan at a young age in 3966 BBY. He then resided in Taris' Middle City alongside his older sister, Shel, with Shad providing financial support. In 3964 BBY, Shad met his demise during a murder perpetrated by his Jedi Masters along with three of his fellow classmates. These Masters believed that one of the Padawans would trigger the downfall of the Jedi Order. Zayne Carrick, Shad's closest friend and a fellow Padawan, managed to escape the slaughter but was subsequently blamed for the deaths. Shad's passing left Shay and Shel without a provider, but they unexpectedly received a substantial sum of money from an anonymous benefactor. This allowed Shay to leave Taris and live with his grandparents on the planet Ord Mantell.
Taris was the home planet of Shay Jelavan, a male Human. After his parents tragically died in an accident within Taris' Middle City during his childhood, he made his home with his older sister, Shel, in the same district. Their elder brother, Shad, a promising Jedi Padawan training at the Jedi Tower on Taris, supported his siblings through his stipend. In 3964 BBY, Shad successfully completed his final Padawan test, leading to preparations for a banquet and Knighting ceremony at the Jedi Tower. The families of the five Padawans from Taris received invitations to the banquet, and Jelavan attended with his sister. Following the meal, the Padawans went to their Masters' quarters to find out who would be elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight. However, once there, Shad and three of his fellow Padawans were killed by their Masters, who were acting on the conviction that one of them would be responsible for the destruction of the Jedi Order. Zayne Carrick, Shad's best friend, was the only survivor and was officially held responsible for the killings.
News of the Padawan massacre caused great sensation on Taris, and Shay and Shel were interviewed for a news program that Carrick watched while hiding in a bar in the Lower City. Eventually, the bounty hunter Valius Ying located Carrick in the Taris asteroid belt and brought him back to Taris to hand him over to the Jedi. A large crowd greeted Ying and Carrick, and Shay and Shel were among them. As Carrick passed by, the two remaining Jelavans stared at him silently, and he only briefly returned their gaze. With Shad gone, their only financial support was lost, and Shay and Shel lived with another family for a period. After some time, the Jelavans received a significant sum of money from an unknown benefactor. Shel believed the Jedi Order had sent it, but Carrick was the actual source. This sum enabled Shay to move off-world and stay with his grandparents on Ord Mantell, while Shel used the remainder to place a bounty on Carrick's head.
While on Taris, Jelavan wore a beige tunic paired with grey boots.
Shay Jelavan's initial appearance, albeit without a name, was in Knights of the Old Republic 1. This comic was penned by John Jackson Miller, illustrated by Brian Ching, and released on January 25, 2006. His name was revealed in Knights of the Old Republic 23, also written by Miller and published on November 28, 2007.