Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II has officially introduced the Nameless, a monstrous race of Force predators who are the Jedi's greatest fear. Set hundreds of years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative is exploring some of the darkest secrets of the Force. Phase I took place 200 years before the prequels, and culminated in the discovery of mysterious Force predators - monstrous creatures that wreaked havoc on Starlight Beacon, the space station intended to serve as a beacon of hope to the entire galaxy.
Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II steps back in time another 150 years, revealing the origin of the Levelers. It confirms the Jedi know these creatures as the "Nameless," named because of the nameless dread their very presence generates in a Jedi Knight, as they feel the Force itself torn apart as they feast upon it. The Nameless were first mentioned in Claudia Gray's Master & Apprentice, when Qui-Gon Jinn researched prophecies surrounding the Chosen One. "Only through the sacrifice of many Jedi will the Order cleanse the sin done to the nameless," one prophecy reads. It's entirely possible the Nameless are tied to the Chosen One prophecy itself.
It's clear the Jedi will be forced to go to extreme lengths to defeat the Nameless, perhaps even breaking their vow to stand as champions of light and life. The Jedi so feared the Nameless that they erased all records of their existence, perhaps fearing other enemies would seek to use the creatures against them. This secrecy means precious little is known about the Nameless to date. This makes their examination an even more terrifying prospect than it might have been. Here's what is known about the Nameless in Star Wars.
The Nameless Are The Ultimate Force Predators
Star Wars isn't a science-fiction franchise; rather, it's science-fantasy, and beasts and monsters have always been a major part of the franchise. The old Expanded Universe introduced several creatures that actually interacted with the Force, including ysalamiri and vornskrs. But the Leveler is the ultimate Force predator, a creature more terrifying than anything seen in Legends. They're four-legged beasts who prey upon Force-sensitives, and they appear to have a voracious appetite. The Force itself twists and bends around a Nameless, proving Jedi are lying when they claim they have no attachments; in truth, the Jedi have simply replaced relationships with an attachment to the Force, and the mere presence of a Nameless leaves a Jedi reeling in horror as their greatest ally and comfort is twisted into a nightmare around them.
A Nameless can feast on any Force-sensitive, with their body calcifying as their midi-chlorians are consumed. The process is a horrific and agonizing one, making the Levelers the Jedi's greatest fear. It is normally a swift (if painful and horrifying) death, but a brief contact with a Nameless is just as fatal, and far more drawn-out. Justina Ireland's Path of Deceit shows the effect of a glancing touch from one of the Nameless.
The Origin Of The Nameless
The origin of the Nameless remains a mystery. The Sith excelled at manipulating living creatures to create monsters, and they may well have created the Nameless; they are referred to as "unnatural," reminiscent of Palpatine's claim in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith that the dark side is a path to many powers others would consider unnatural. The Levelers are found on one distant planet in Wild Space, a world whose precise location remains a secret. If these are indeed a new species of Sith monster, then they have presumably been kept on this planet because they were too dangerous to unleash on the galaxy.
It's interesting to note the Sith are the only Force-sensitives who could potentially be safe from the Nameless. Sith Lords like Palpatine learned techniques that allowed them to hide their Force-presence from all around them; Palpatine so mastered these techniques that he was able to stand side-by-side with Jedi Masters, without them realizing he was a Sith. These same esoteric Force-powers could allow the Sith to use a Nameless, before returning them to the planet on which they are stored.
The Nameless Consume The Force Itself
The final scenes of Justina Ireland's Path of Deceit offer another disturbing hint at the Nameless' true power. A Jedi Knight arrives on Dalna, a planet where a Nameless has fed on Jedi Knights, and he is able to sense something is wrong with the Force itself. Influenced by the teachings of Jedi Grandmaster Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi famously described the Force as "an energy field created by all living things" that "surrounds us and protects us." When a Leveler feeds, it appears to leave a lasting void in the Force, an area where this energy field has been depleted. It remains to be seen whether the Force recovers in an area where a Leveler has fed.
The very existence of the Nameless is, therefore, a challenge to everything the Jedi have ever believed about the Force. They are living creatures that do not contribute to the Force, but rather destroy it. The presence of a Nameless leaves a Jedi experiencing nightmarish visions, and they can only control them by reducing their awareness of the Force - the antithesis of all their practices and rituals. It's easy to see why the Nameless became subject to disturbing Jedi lullabies. This mysterious lullaby may well hint at the direction of Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II:
"Shrii ka rai ka rai
We're coming to take you away
Shrii ka rai ka rai
We're coming to take you away
They'll do what they can
And they'll do what they must
But when they do find you all you'll be is...
Dust."
The Nameless have been found by the Path of the Open Hand, a Force cult who believe every Force-sensitive is damaging the Force by drawing upon it. It's likely this lullaby speaks of a time when the Path of the Open Hand scoured the galaxy, seeking out Force-sensitives and feeding them to the Nameless. If so, Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II is about to tell the story of one of the darkest times in galactic history.