The history of Star Wars video games is full of exciting concepts and characters that further broaden the scope of an already vast galaxy. Jedi Master Jaro Tapal is no different. Though his appearance in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is brief, he makes a lasting impression on his apprentice Cal Kestis and fans.
The hulking Jedi Master sacrifices his life during Order 66 so Cal may survive, and in doing so, helps set Cal down a path of discovery through the course of the video game. Here are ten things you need to know about Jedi Master Jaro Tapal.
He's a Lasat
Though Jaro Tapal is a brand new character in Star Wars canon, he probably looks familiar to many fans. That's because he's a Lasat, the same species as another prominent hero from a galaxy far, far away: Garazeb 'Zeb' Orrelios from the Disney XD animated series, Star Wars: Rebels.
Though the fur patterns of the Lasat could vary quite a bit individually, all Lasat have a tall, muscular body type and long arms and legs that make them very fast and agile.
Original Concept
Both Zeb and Jaro Tapal have their roots in another character: Chewbacca. When the creative team was designing Zeb for Rebels, they went back to the earliest designs legendary artist Ralph McQuarrie did for the first Star Wars film.
The earliest sketches that McQuarrie produced for Chewbacca were very different than his eventual shaggy appearance. Initially, Chewbacca featured a tall, skinny build with some light fur, and big yellow eyes. Zeb and Jaro would echo these very strongly.
The Bracca Campaign
At the outset of Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi Master Jaro Tapal and his Padawan learner Cal Kestis are participating in the Bracca Campaign at the end of the Clone Wars. Bracca was a horrible junk planet inhospitable to life, but critical to the ongoing battle between the Republic and the Separatists.
The planet was located close to a nexus of hyperspace routes, meaning whoever controlled the system controlled traffic in that sector of the galaxy. Jaro Tapal led the Republic forces to victory.
Tapal Was Strict
Jaro Tapal was a powerful Jedi Master, and a strict one as well. Within the video game, clone members of the 13th Battalion are shown telling Cal Kestis not to keep Tapal waiting too long in the training area of their Venator-class Republic cruiser.
Many years later, after Tapal perished in Order 66 and Kestis tries to find his way in the galaxy, Kestis encounters an apparition of his master on Dathomir. Jaro Tapal chides Kestis for being a 'failed apprentice,' an exaggerated specter of the hard-driving Jedi's doctrine.
Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Every Jedi carries a lightsaber. Not every Jedi has one as cool as Jaro Tapal's. Few Jedi seen on screen or in video games wield a double-bladed lightsaber; generally, it's been associated with less friendly characters, but neither the light or dark sides have any claim on any particular type.
Jaro Tapal's lightsaber features two blue blades, and a short handle, relative to the one that Darth Maul used against the Jedi in The Phantom Menace. It's especially short in his hands. When Cal Kestis takes up the weapon after Order 66, it seems larger in his young hands.
13th Battalion
Jaro Tapal is a General in the Grand Army of the Republic, and in command of the 13th Battalion. These clone troopers were also known as the 'Iron Battalion' for their formidable resolve in battle.
The 13th Battalion is distinguished by their yellow-orange markings, notable for the V shape across their torsos. The color scheme of these clones is very similar to another squad. The 212th Attack Battalion, led by Commander Cody and General Obi-Wan Kenobi, uses a virtually identical color for their markings.
Tapal Sensed Order 66
The disastrous betrayal of Order 66 occurs after the Republic forces leave Bracca in victory. Order 66 caught most Jedi off guard, but some sensed a disturbance in the Force. One of them was Jaro Tapal.
He sensed the impending attack of the 13th Battalion's clone commander moments before it happened and was able to strike the clone down. This powerful intuition shows how strong in the Force Jaro Tapal was, and how fortunate Cal Kestis was to have him for a Master.
He Was Strong
As a Jedi, Jaro Tapal gained significant strength from the Force. He was also naturally strong as a Lasat, making him a very problematic target for the clones of the 13th Battalion. His Force powers included telekinesis, which made keeping hold of blasters a problem, but even with a firm grip, the clones had a hard time taking him down.
The extremely athletic Jaro Tapal barreled over many of the clones. He also took several blaster shots right to the chest like they were nothing. His immense strength and endurance allowed him to hold the entire battalion off for a brief time.
He Was Heroic
Jaro Tapal holds the clones off long enough for him and his apprentice to get to the escape pods of their cruiser. There, the surviving members of the 13th Battalion corner the fleeing Jedi. They finally get the drop on him, wounding him mortally. But even then, it's not enough to stop Tapal.
He passes his lightsaber to Kestis and places him in an escape pod, sacrificing his life to save his apprentice. After sabotaging the reactor core of the ship, Tapal takes the entire battalion with him.
Legacy
Jaro Tapal's noble sacrifice ultimately sets Cal Kestis on a path of self-discovery and realization. Over the course of the game, the frightened and unsure young boy becomes the determined and heroic young man.
After staying in hiding for years, afraid to acknowledge his Jedi identity, Cal eventually reconnected to his past and created a new lightsaber. He joined a mission to help restore the fallen Jedi order, keeping the memory and teachings of his former master alive in his heart and mind.