One earlyStar Warsproperty gaveLuke Skywalkeryet another mentor before the events ofThe Empire Strikes Back, and over 40 years later, this Clone Wars veteran is part of the modern canon. The franchise has two main continuities –Star WarsLegends and the modern canon– with the former being the original official timeline and the latter supplanting it whenStar Warsunderwent a partial reboot in April 2014. Legends-era lore goes as far back as 1977 and, naturally, its numerous characters, storylines, and concepts have inspired comparable counterparts in the newer continuity.
As revealed in the original Legends timeline, clone troopers and Jedi were the most recognizable warriors of theGalactic Republicduring the Clone Wars, but technically, the Republic’s largest fighting force was composed of neither. Local planetary defense forces, made up of the local sapient beings of Republic-aligned worlds, fought the Separatists on their respective homeworlds, though many would fight alongside the more famous Jedi and clone troopers. Garven Dreis, who fought in the Battle of Yavin, led a fighter squadron on his homeworld of Virujansi, working with Anakin Skywalker and clone pilots to repel the Separatists from the planet.
Arhul Narra Was Luke Skywalker’s Mentor
A comparable character to Garven Dreis in theStar WarsLegends continuity is Arhul Narra. Narra was a commander in the Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps, taking the late Garven Dreis’s place after the Battle of Yavin. Narra commanded the late Dreis’s Red Squadron, the fledgling Rogue Squadron, and Renegade Flight. In the three years betweenA New HopeandThe Empire Strikes Back,Arhul Narra became both a friend and a mentor to Luke Skywalker, helping him grow into the seasoned pilot and leader reintroduced to viewers at the start ofEmpire.
Arhul Narra’s Clone Wars & ESB Story Explained
Arhul Narra was also a veteran of the Clone Wars. While his homeworld was never specified, his remarkable skills as an X-Wing pilot and squadron leader in the Rebellion imply thathe was perhaps the squadron leader of a Republic planetary defense force’s starfighter corps during the war. As revealed in a two-part story arc in theStar Wars: Empirecomics, Narra was also familiar with clone troopers, likely having seen them in action during the Clone Wars. Upon encountering the MIA Clone Trooper Able-1707 on Lubang Minor, Narra played a key role in convincing him to join the Rebellion.
Star Wars: All 15 Clone Ranks & Types Explained
Clone troopers are essential to the Star Wars prequel era’s narrative, with a variety of ranks and specializations among the Republic’s elite troops.
While much of Arhul Narra’s established lore comes from more recent Legends-era works,he debuted in the 1983radio drama adaptation ofThe Empire Strikes Back. Like the other two original trilogy radio dramas, Empire’s adaptation featured an extended opening, with Arhul Narra leading Renegade Flight on an escort mission near Derra IV in the Expansion Region. The convoy was ambushed by the Imperial Navy and Starfighter Corps, and while Narra fought bravely, he and the rest of the Alliance’s forces were destroyed. Shortly before the Battle of Hoth, Luke Skywalker was promoted to Commander, taking his late friend’s place.
Arhul Narra’s protocol droid – the renowned strategist K-3PO – is a background character inEmpire, and is sadly destroyed during the Battle of Hoth.
Later Legends-era works would make this Imperial victory even more significant. The Imperial Naval leader during the Battle of Derra IV was none other thanGrand Admiral Thrawn, who notably received no credit or accolades for the victory, despite his strategy being the key to the Rebellion’s defeat. The TIE Fighter squadron at Derra IV was the 181st, led by Major Soontir Fel. Fel – who comes from a humble background on Corellia – not onlypersonally shot down Arhul Narra, but also ascended to Imperial nobility following the battle, becoming Baron Soontir Fel and gaining an estate on Corellia.
Is Arhul Narra In Star Wars Canon?
The modernStar Warscanon often creates new versions of Legends-era characters, and Arhul Narra is no exception.The modern canon’s iteration of Arhul Narra debuted in Jason Fry’sThe Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventureand has several other small yet notable appearancesin modern canon works. Although details about Arhul Narra’s death in the modernStar Warscanon are vague, the third issue of theStar Wars Helmet Collectionhas revealed that Narra died during an ambush by the Empire, giving him a similar demise to his originalStar WarsLegends-era counterpart inThe Empire Strikes Back’sradio drama.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Cast
The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, directed by Irvin Kershner. Released in 1980, it follows Luke Skywalker as he trains under Jedi Master Yoda, while Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance face ongoing threats from the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader.
