Kanan Jarrus is one of the most influential Jedi, arguably shaping the trajectory of the early Rebellion. The legacy he left behind plays an important role in Star Wars canon being explored in live-action, and a new ongoing comic series may be paving the path for fans to learn more.

Jedi Knights #1 — by Marc Guggenheim, Madibek Musabekov, and R Rahzzah—was released on March 5. The cover for issue #1 features iconic Jedi Masters, including Kanan’s master, Depa Billaba.

Not much is known about Kanan and Billaba’s relationship beyond the small insights Star Wars: Rebels, as well as a brief overview of their experience directly preceding and during Order 66. This was explored in Kanan: The Last Padawan by Greg Weisman, Pepe Larraz, and Mark Brooks. With a glimpse of Billaba on Jedi Knights #1 and the series set to focus on familiar Jedi faces, it’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about Kanan and Billaba’s history.

Kanan and Billaba's Relationship Is An Integral Part Of Star Wars

Billaba Sacrificed Herself for Kanan, Just As Kanan Sacrificed Himself For His Padawan

Kanan: The Last Padawan provides a solid, albeit fully unexplored, basis for the beginning of Kanan and Billaba’s relationship. Released in 2015, the series follows an adult Kanan and his team/found family from Rebels—Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Zeb Orrelios, Chopper, and Kanan’s own padawan, Ezra Bridger. The crew takes on a mission to pick up desperately needed supplies for the citizens of Lothal, which brings them to the planet Kaller. Kanan is immediately uneasy upon hearing the name “Kaller,” which sparks flashbacks to his experience during Order 66 with Billaba.

Kanan’s memories reveal that both he and his master were on Kaller when Order 66 was enacted, forcing the pair to fight for their lives against their trusted team of Clone Troopers. Billaba ultimately sacrificed herself to give Kanan a chance to escape and survive, though her death would go on to haunt Kanan with guilt until the very end of his life, when he finally understands her actions and follows in her footsteps. Needless to say, Kaller is a sore subject for Kanan, who struggles with reconciling his traumatic past with the man he has become.

Kanan: The Last Padawan also gives a glimpse into how a very young Kanan—then known by his birth name, Caleb Dume—came to be Billaba’s padawan. However, there is still much left to be explored, as the series focuses on Kanan’s experience during their first two missions together. Though readers see Billaba imparting wisdom to her eager padawan in the field, much of Kanan’s training under Billaba in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant is still unexplored. While it can be argued that their padawan-master relationship was cut short due to Order 66, Jedi Knights has the opportunity to show the opposite.

Jedi Knights Is Poised To Provide The Perfect Canvas To Paint Kanan And Billaba's Story

The First Issue Of Jedi Knights Is Available Now

Jedi Knights author, Marc Guggenheim, provided insight into what fans can look forward to with the series. In an interview on the YouTube channel Star Wars Explained, Guggenheim said:

My story is about the Jedi Knights, sort of at the height of their powers, pre-Phantom Menace. The way the book works is [that] it’s a little bit like the old Marvel team-ups where we'll get different combinations of Jedi in each issue, and each issue is done in one. Each one’s like its own little mini Star Wars movie.

Kanan and Billaba’s story fits in perfectly with Jedi Knights’ timeline. With each issue set to act as a “mini-movie” providing further depth to well-known characters, it is the perfect chance for Star Wars to expand on the little-explored relationship. A story about Kanan’s early training under Billaba would not only bring back two fan-favorite characters but also provide deeper context to the events seen in Rebels, making both Billaba and Kanan’s sacrifices all the more meaningful.

The live-action Star Wars series are currently digging into the New Republic era, specifically focusing on characters who participated in the Galactic Civil War. Ahsoka, in particular, acts almost as the fifth season of Rebels, and introduces Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger, and Hera and Kanan’s son, Jacen, into the live-action world.

It's imperative that the larger Star Wars fanbase knows about Kanan Jarrus, his past, and the lessons he left behind.

For fans who have watched Rebels, it feels as though Kanan’s ghost lingers over Hera and Ezra especially. Assuming the next season of Ahsoka continues the story set up in season 1, it’s imperative that the larger Star Wars fanbase knows about Kanan Jarrus, his past, and the lessons he left behind.

The further exploration of Kanan and Billaba’s relationship could provide crucial insights into master-padawan bonds within the Jedi Order, especially during the Clone Wars. Revealing the nuances of their dynamic, perhaps highlighting Billaba's struggles in balancing her role as a General with her responsibilities as a mentor, could draw a parallel to Kanan’s actions in adulthood, long after Billaba’s death.

Considering the fact that Hera is also a General with her and Kanan’s young son at her side, it would be interesting to see a parallel between Billaba and Hera, and more of Kanan’s youth and the traits that their son may inherit.

With Jedi Knights poised to be the perfect place to tell more about Kanan Jarrus and Depa Billaba’s story, the series can also further enrich Star Wars lore, offering a deeper understanding of the past and shaping the future of Force s in the galaxy.

Source: Star Wars Explained