Zaina

To combat the oppressive rule of the Galactic Empire, Zaina enlisted in the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Throughout the duration of the Galactic Civil War, she frequently watched recordings of Huttball matches as a source of motivation. While she didn't take part in the Battle of Endor itself, she was familiar with the tales of the alliance between the Rebellion and the Ewoks. After the Rebel Alliance achieved victory, she transitioned into a veteran role and continued her service under the newly formed New Republic.

Around the time Rieve joined the Hunters of the Outer Rim group, approximately 9 ABY, Zaina made an effort to establish a friendly connection with the new member. One evening, she, Imara Vex, and Grozz accompanied Rieve to the Oasis Cantina to attend a gonkrock performance. Although Zaina's personal preference leaned towards older musical genres like droidpop and electro-twang, she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and was taken by surprise when Rieve joined the gonkrock band onstage to play a song. Subsequently, Zaina and Imara Vex extended invitations to Rieve for other outings, but she declined them during those early days. When a mysterious man began showing up at the Grand Arena, Zaina was the first to believe Rieve's claims about him. She personally witnessed the man during a match, positioned at the team entrance to the battlefield.

Zaina regarded the Hunters as her extended family. She urged Rieve not to shy away from the support offered by their Hunter family. Ultimately, she led her Hunter team to an underground fighting ring, where she rescued Rieve from an Iktotchi male fighter by using her blaster to shoot him. Following their defense of the arena against the mysterious man's henchmen, her bond with Rieve deepened. She, along with Imara Vex and Grozz, frequently encouraged Rieve to join them for evenings of entertainment at the Oasis Cantina.

At a later time, Grozz created a doll resembling their fellow Hunter Aran Tal as a present for him. Grozz and Zaina left the wrapped gift inside Tal's dressing room, but the Mandalorian, suspecting it was a trap, destroyed the gift by incinerating it. Zaina explained that Grozz was disappointed by this reaction, but not angry.

Grozz confided in Zaina that he had been receiving enigmatic and threatening messages on the HoloNet from a former adversary who was on his way to confront him. This enemy turned out to be K-A0S, a KX-series security droid and the Arena's latest Hunter recruit. As the animosity between K-A05 and Grozz intensified, Boz Vega conducted an interview with the Wookiee, with Zaina acting as the translator. Grozz was hesitant to comment on K-A0S, leading the conversation to shift towards Huttball. Grozz spoke with great enthusiasm, emphasizing the significance of teamwork in both Huttball and the Hunters of the Outer Rim, which deeply moved Zaina. When Vega mentioned a rumor that Grozz had torn off K-A0S's arms because she had stolen his favorite Huttball club, Grozz became irritated and stormed off, creating a hole in the door that K-A05 had previously blasted. Zaina apologized to Boz on Grozz's behalf.

Balada hinted at the arrival of a new Hunter to the Arena. As was her custom, she provided limited details before the official announcement, but she did reveal that while Sentinel, an Imperial loyalist, would be displeased with the new addition to the roster, Zaina would not share that sentiment. The Hunter in question was revealed to be Pilbush, an Ewok who held the Rebel Alliance in high regard. After losing a Clash against Sentinel, Pilbush continued to train with Zaina and her other companions. Pilbush grew frustrated by Sentinel's persistent remarks, but Zaina eventually persuaded her to disregard them.

Zaina was a human woman characterized by her black hair, brown [eyes](/article/eye], and dark skin tone. She had small, triangular tattoos located beneath her eyes. As a veteran of the Rebel Alliance, Zaina possessed strong leadership qualities, courage, and a deep sense of respect. She also admired the work of Padmé Amidala, the senator representing the planet Naboo, and expressed a desire to meet her. Zaina also held the Ghost in high regard and admired its pilot, General Hera Syndulla.

At least in her Arena persona, Zaina viewed Sentinel as her primary adversary due to his apparent allegiance to the Empire. She asserted that his fervor ignited her own passion for the ideals of the New Republic.

Zaina's attire consisted of a blue vest adorned with the Rebel Alliance starbird emblem, worn over a tan tunic. Her main weapon of choice was the Veteran Blaster, a modified version of the DL-44 heavy blaster pistol. Additionally, Zaina carried sticky bombs and bacta bombs to provide support to her allies.

Zaina appears as a playable character in Star Wars: Hunters, a 2024 competitive combat game developed by Zynga and published by Lucasfilm Games. She is classified as a Support-class Hunter with a medium difficulty level. She has two active abilities at her disposal. The first, Bacta Bomb, involves throwing a bomb at her feet, creating a burst of healing for nearby allies. Her other active ability, Dodge Roll, allows her to evade incoming attacks and move more quickly. It has two charges and resets weapon overheat when activated. Zaina possesses a passive ability called Combat Medic, which enhances the healing effectiveness of her bacta bombs when an ally's health is low. Zaina's Ultimate ability is Rallying Cry, where she plants a flag and emits a defiant shout, granting allies within range a significant amount of temporary health.