Kyp Durron

Creation

The character of Kyp Durron was created by author Kevin J. Anderson for his best-selling Jedi Academy Trilogy of novels, the first installment of which, Jedi Search, was published in March 1994. Kyp is actually seen in action in Anderson's comic series, Jedi Academy: Leviathan from Dark Horse Comics.

History

Early Years

"No change comes without conflict. Perhaps my destiny is to be the irritant that forces the discussion, the blister that lets you know your boots don't fit."

Kyp Durron was a Force-sensitive human male, born in 7 BBY on the Deyer colony of the Anoat system. In an Imperial roundup of dissidents, he and his parents—politicians outspoken against the destruction of Alderaan—were sent to be slaves in the spice mines of Kessel, Kyp was only nine years old. His older brother Zeth was conscripted into Imperial service. When Durron was eleven, the spice mines of Kessels, initially controlled by the Empire, were taken over by the Rybet smuggler Moruth Doole through violent action.

Durron's parents were executed in the confusion. While laboring in the spice mines, Kyp met Vima-Da-Boda, who taught him what minor Force skills she could before being removed by Imperial authorities. It wasn't until a daring escape with Han Solo that Kyp was introduced to formal Jedi training. He began to study at Luke Skywalker's newly formed Jedi Academy on Yavin 4.

Rampage and Return

Kyp was a talented and strong student of the Force but very arrogant. The spirit of ancient Sith Lord Exar Kun began to exploit this arrogance and turn him to the Dark Side. Kyp turned on Luke, disabling him and then fled the planet. He stole a new Imperial super weapon called the "Sun Crusher." The Sun Crusher was a start ship that fired missiles that could cause a star to go Supernova. One of his first actions was to seek revenge for the Imperial slaughter of his brother and parents. He used the stolen weapon to destroy the tar system of the planet Carida. Soon after firing the weapon, he discovered that his brother Zeth was not dead as the Caridan officials claimed, but was in fact alive among the ranks of Stormtroopers at the Military Academy there. Unable to save him in time, Kyp saw his brother disintegrate before making his escape.

Eventually Master Skywalker and Han Solo were able to bring him back to the Light Side of the Force and Kyp willingly volunteered himself to stand trial for what he did. The New Republic left the final decision to Luke and he allowed Kyp to resume his Jedi training. He then returned to the Maw and piloted the Sun Crusher in the ensuing battle between the New Republic and Admiral Daala's forces. He then destroyed the Sun Crusher by piloting it into one of the Maw's black holes and taking the pursuing Death Star prototype with it.

He narrowly escaped by slowing down his bodily functions, squeezing himself into a message pod normally too small for a Human, and breaking many bones in the process while launching the pod out of the black hole's gravity well.

Jedi Missions

"If Kyp Durron needed help, I doubt he would ask."

--Kirana Ti

Despite his many atrocities, Master Skywalker welcomed Kyp back to the Academy. But although Luke had forgiven him, Kyp had a difficult time forgiving himself. Terrified that he would succumb to the dark side again, and sometimes wishing death upon himself, it was a long healing process. On his first mission after his redemption, he assumed the alias Zeth Fost and investigated rumors of a Jedi Knight operating on the planet Prishardia. Though ultimately the rumors were proven false—it was only con-artist Ghitsa Dogder posing as one—the mission was a personal success for Kyp, for the smuggler Fenig Nabon began the process of Kyp's inner healing. Kyp would rise from the ashes of his past to become a Jedi Master and one of the foremost members of the New Jedi Order.

In 12 ABY, when Admiral Daala reunited the various Imperial factions, Kyp Durron and his friend Dorsk 81 went on a Coreward mission to spy on her, but were discovered and forced to flee. When Daala subsequently attacked the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, Kyp was one of the senior Jedi leading the defense against her ground forces. Although the Jedi were victorious, Dorsk 81 was killed in the battle. Kyp then left the jungle moon again.

Later, having returned to Yavin 4, Kyp was present for the arrival of the Academy's newest student—Dorsk 82. So striking was his similarity to Dorsk 81 that Kyp momentarily confused the two. Kyp soon took the new trainee under his wing, taking him out into the jungle to visit Dorsk 81's grave. There he presented Dorsk 82 with the lightsaber of his deceased predecessor. Impressing Dorsk by fighting off a battle hydra in the jungle, the new trainee pledged to become a Jedi Knight, with Kyp declaring his support.

Shortly after, the two departed on a mission to the mining colony of Corbos in the Celador Sash. Finding the mining colony deserted the two set off to investigate. Kyp was immediately subject to screams and cries for help through the Force—mysterious considering the dead colonists that they found. While Dorsk 82 slept, Kyp set out to find the reason behind this mystery. Out in the pouring rain, Durron climbed to the top of the crater city, discovering a slavering leviathan—a bioengineered Sithspawn created by the Sith during the Hundred-Year Darkness. Meanwhile, the insecure Dorsk 82 awoke to find Kyp gone and fled to their ship to raise the comm and get help from the Academy. Responding to his distress signal, Streen and Kirana Ti set out from the Academy to join them flying another of the Order's ships. Arriving on the planet they joined up with Dorsk 82 and went in search of Kyp. Meanwhile, Kyp engaged the creature in a vicious battle inflicting numerous lightsaber wounds on it before finally using a grappling hook to climb onto its back.

There, within a milky portal, the ghoulish faces of the miners spirits stared out at Kyp. Plunging his red saber down into the portal Kyp released the spirits—and was flung off the leviathan's back. Losing his grip on his lightsaber, Kyp was plucked up by one of the leviathan's tentacles, which proceeded to force him down its maw. Down below in the mines the other Jedi were looking for Kyp and discovered a clutch of leviathan larvae. At the same time, Kyp fought the leviathan using Force storm lightning to kill it.

He then broke more portals to release the miners' spirits. Dorsk 82, Streen and Kirana Ti climbed out of the mines and caught up with Kyp. The Jedi then encountered an even larger leviathan. Dorsk 82 and Streen then fought the leviathan while Kirana Ti went to search for Kyp. She then found an unconscious Kyp near the body of a smaller leviathan. The group worked together to defeat the larger leviathan. They then returned to the ships. In 13 ABY, Kyp joined the New Republic fleet brought together by Han Solo, flying the light explorer Sundance in the Battle of Nam Chorios.

Yuuzhan Vong War

"The Vong obliterate whole worlds, and yes, I know I did that once, but I'm not crazy enough to think it was right. The Vong think it's a holy obligation."

Kyp quickly grew strong in the Force and took on Miko Reglia as his Jedi apprentice. He and Reglia formed the Dozen-and-Two Avengers, a vigilante group of X-wing and other snubfighter pilots. This squadron was one of the first to encounter the Yuuzhan Vong. Kyp lost his squadron and his apprentice to the Yuuzhan Vong and barely escaped with his own life. Although he favored more aggressive tactics than many of the other Jedi, to, "take the fight to the Vong" he proved himself a valuable asset in the deadly conflict. After Warmaster Tsavong Lah called for the heads of the Jedi, however, he broke from Luke Skywalker. Most of the other masters, who had been his fellow students, supported Luke, but Durron took the fight to the Yuuzhan Vong with a small—but significant—group of supporters. Over the first year of the war, his Dozen protected Bothawui and fought at the Battle of Kubindi. He also journeyed to occupied Dantooine, observing a kilometers-wide pit filled with the bones of those the Vong had sacrificed to their gods.

Two years into the war, Kyp had managed to perfect the art of the Shadow Bomb to give the Jedi and the New Republic a small advantage over the invaders. The technique emptied a proton torpedo of its propellant and called for Jedi to telekinetically hurl the projectiles at Yuuzhan Vong warships. Without drive emissions, the torpedoes were next to impossible to see or track. During the Fall of Coruscant, Kyp's Dozen was a crucial element in the Jedi-led starfighter wing based at Eclipse Station.

Led by Luke Skywalker, these squadrons were able to maneuver amongst the Yuuzhan Vong invasion fleet and inflict significant damage. However, in the middle of the battle, reports quickly circulated that Kyp's Dozen had gone missing. In fact, only Kyp and Jedi Knight Octa Ramis survived; with the latter swearing she would never fly with Kyp again after he foolishly spent the lives of the rest of the squadron.

Though Kyp disagreed with many of Luke Skywalker's policies, he was appointed to the High Council prior to the Battle of Ebaq 9. Kyp eventually learned to work out his differences with Luke and the other Jedi, even though their views on certain subjects often differed. At the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Kyp, Leia, Han, Judder Page, Meloque and Wraw worked on Caluula while the Galactic Alliance fought at Dac and Alpha Red destroyed every living Yuuzhan Vong on the planet.

During their mission the team was imprisoned by Malik Carr and was to be killed, but Booster Terrik, Shada D'ukal, Lando, Talon Karrde, Crev Bombaasa and Mirax Terrik Horn from the Smuggler's Alliance rescued Kyp and the others with the Errant Venture. Later, Kyp was one of the Jedi to fly a Zonama Sekotan fighter in defense of Zonama Sekot. After the end of the war Kyp was present at the Conclave on Zonama Sekot.

Discontent with the Order

"As Jedi, either we're players in GA politics, or we're another instrument of the elected leadership, like the fleet. If we're the latter, then we might have our opinions, but we do as the legitimate leadership directs. If we're not, then we've got no more right to start interfering with the status quo than the Monster Raving Anarchist Party."

By the Dark Nest Crisis, Durron was on the Masters' Council. However, he was once again at odds with the other Jedi. Though he no longer opposed Master Skywalker, he was, along with Mara Jade Skywalker, a leader of the faction which felt the Jedi had a duty to the galaxy at large before the Susan Ward Alliance. This stance was reminiscent of Revan during the Mandalorian Wars and Count Dooku's during the Clone Wars. This brought him into conflict with Corran Horn and Kenth Hamner, who felt that the Jedi were answerable to the Alliance. When Skywalker was out of contact on Woteba, Chief of State Cal Omas attempted to disorganized the Jedi by appointing Horn the Order's interim leader. Durron refused to take part in it, saying that Luke Skywalker led the Jedi, and that there would be no peace as long as Cal Omas was Chief of State.

Second Galactic Civil War

"Facts, exact numbers, reassurance… a Jedi seeks not these things."

During the Second Galactic Civil War, Kyp kept a low profile as a member of the Masters' Council, though he did put out the suggestion that Jacen Solo be made a Jedi Master to bring him back into the Jedi Order and exert some control over Jacen's activities. Directly after the Battle of Hapes, he was chosen to investigate the incident involving the Skywalkers' son, Ben Skywalker, and Zekk. After having a discussion about it with Luke and Mara, Kyp decided not to investigate.

Kyp later admitted to fellow Masters Luke and Mara that he had found a woman who liked his hair long and didn't mind the gray in it. He also told them that both Cal Omas and Cha Niathal wanted Jacen to be elevated to the rank of Jedi Master. Despite his own belief that Jacen should be elevated to the rank of Jedi Master, in the meeting with Cal Omas and Niathal, Kyp sided with Luke who thought otherwise since he believed that Jedi problems were worsened when politicians interfered.

Kyp would later go on and offer assistance to Mara when she decided to hunt Lumiya, which she refused. He also told her that he didn't understand why Luke had tolerated Jacen as long as he had and believed making him a Master would change his views and priorities. Again he would offer his assistance in the hunt for Lumiya after Mara's death. During the Battle of Kuat, Kyp commanded Shadow Saber squadron before the Jedi left the battle.

After the Battle of Kashyyyk, Luke ordered Kyp to organize a Jedi plan to feign an assassination of Jacen. He also assisted scientist Toval Seyah in the destruction of Centerpoint Station. Kyp was present during the Battle of Shedu Maad, when Darth Caedus, as formerly Jacen Solo, was killed.

After the War

In 43 ABY, two years after the Second Galactic Civil War, Kyp Durron was among those present when Luke Skywalker was placed under arrest, and in a move to help humanize the Order in the eyes of the public, when acting Grand Master Kenth Hamner asked for a volunteer to be a consultant for an upcoming holodrama, Master Durron accepted. He was also present when GA forces arrived to take Valin Horn away from the temple. His anger was evident when a GA Security Captain, Oric Harfard, insulted the two Jedi guarding the entrance, but was calmed by Cilghal.

Durron was one of the Jedi who grew impatient with Grand Master Kenth Hamner's cautious approach. He later participated in a Jedi coup to remove Chief of State Daala from power. Durron and Octa Ramis went to Klatooine to prevent the Mandalorians, mandated by Natasi Daala, from massacring insurgent slaves. Along with the rest of the Jedi Order, Durron eventually left Coryscie in 44 ABY to lure the Forgotten Tribe of the Sith and the Abeloth power entity onto the Galactic Alliance's central planet.

After the Battle of Coruscant, Durron attended a meeting of the Jedi Council, in which the Jedi masters of Raynar Thul were informed about Abeloth's nature and origin. Durron was also present on Luke Skywalker's return from the Maw after the Jedi Grand Master's final battle against Abeloth.

Characteristics

• Name: Kyp Durron
• Homeworld: Deyer
• Born: 7 BBY
• Species: Human
• Gender: Male
• Height: 5'9''
• Hair Color: Dark Brown
• Eye Color: Brown
• Age: 52 (after the Second Galactic Civil War)
• Era: Rebellion era, New Jedi Order era, Legacy era
• Masters: Vima-Da-Boda (Informal), Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master), Exar Kun (Sith Master, temporarily / influenced)
• Known Apprentices: Miko Reglia, Jaina Solo Fel (briefly)
• Marital Status: Unknown female (mention only by Kyp)

Personality

Kyp was considered an angry, impatient and stubborn man. His actions were often driven by anger and hatred. Through his enormous power potential Kyp developed a great pride and thus an arrogance on his abilities. He claims to be even stronger than Luke Skywalker and despite the fact that he was his master, he often questioned his actions. Kyp preferred more aggressive and faster tactics than was customary for a Jedi, always changing it to the Narrow Degree between Light and Dark.

With his followers, Kyp constantly went into consciousness of having the best solution to a problem, whereas Luke and other Jedi were more concerned about their actions and motivations. Luke's practice-oriented methods did not find much, but many Jedi students in Kyp saw a mentor. His charismatic manner and his bold attitude appealed to those Jedi who could not understand why they studied the power forces for years, but were not prepared to use their skills wisely after completing their training.

His uncontrolled and impulsive behavior often got him in trouble. In addition, Kyp often used Jedi spirit treats and erased someone else's memory with the help of power. He mastered this trick masterfully, and he was also known by the other Jedi for using him often. Kyp manipulated and deceived other living beings when it offered their own benefit and agreed with his interests. It often created disunity among the Jedi and the New Republic.

In his behavior, Kyp recovered after standing in the dark with Jaina Solo in her case, realizing that his methods were not always the best. Although she was more or less his student, he learned a lot from her about himself. Then he retired more into the background and was content to stand behind Luke and put off his pride a little. His easily irritable nature and his stubbornness remained to him, however, continue.

Power and Abilities

Force Power

"Kyp Durron... young and impetuous -- much like me when I was his age. Once my greatest student, then my greatest enemy under the tutelage of the shade of Exar Kun. He has been through much... I believe Kyp could become the greatest of us all."

--Luke Skywalker

Kyp Durron was very strong in the Force. So strong, that Luke has described him as being "frighteningly powerful", and when his Force potential was tested by Skywalker, he discovered it was the most daunting presence he had felt since his masters - Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. With minimal training at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy, Kyp vastly surpassed ever apprentice by "light-years", and pulled off amazing feats of finesse in the Force through telekinetic displays.

Even before any formal training, and only rudimentary tutelage from Vima-Da-Boda, Kyp used the Force proficiently enough to display minimal precognition, and latter on, used the aforesaid ability to a significant degree, when he, while piloting the Millennium Falcon, plotted a hyperspace route through the Maw in resided in the Kessel Sector. Later, under the influence of the ancient Sith Lord Exar Kun, and through the utilization of both telekinesis and Electronic Manipulation, was able to activate the Sun Crusher, a dreaded Super-weapon of mass destruction. Gradually, Durron's power increased, as evident in him adroitly employing Alter Environment to kill a life eating, Sith Leviathan. Sometimes during the Yuuzhan Vong War, Kyp was able to come up with the "Shadow Bomb" maneuver, a technique, that revolves around hurling Proton Torpedoes at Yuuzhan Vong ships via telekinetic influence, so they wouldn't be traceable by the Vong's sensor devices. Kyp was also skilled in mind tricks and other intricate abilities, to the point he could implant memories in others, and give mental energy to a lethargic man.

In 29 ABY, while on a covert mission, Kyp was able to use the Jedi mind trick on a member of the Peace Brigade into deciding not to search his team's belongings and telling the team to gather their things and leave.

Kyp was able to display enough physical resiliency to survive crushing his own bones in his legs, fold his arms until the bones snapped, and press his rib-cage until the ribs cracked, and then enter a Hibernation Trance to survive. Reducing injury, fatigue, and accelerate the body's healing processes. His greatest feats of Force power however, both came at the expense of the Yuuzhan Vong: the first was using a dead space freighter as a telekinetic weapon, sending it hurling with great speed at a Vong space vessel, and the second - manipulating and moving a Dovin Basal generated singularity.

During the fall of Coruscant, Durron also made use of a destroyed freighter as a telekinetic weapon despite its large size. The dark-haired Jedi was also able to use telekinesis on other Force-sensitives with success, such as when he hurled fellow Jedi Master Corran Horn across a hangar in 36 ABY. Testament to his above-average abilities, Kyp was the only Jedi outside of the Skywalker bloodline to be considered by Vergere and Lumiya as a candidate for the next Sith Lord. However, he was passed over due to his unpredictable and stubborn nature.

Lightsaber Dexterity

"I've been off saving colonies, slaying monsters, rescuing the universe…you know, the usual."

Being a Jedi Master on the High Council, Kyp was a very adept aggressive power duelist, capable of deflecting blaster-bolts and was known as a master swordsman in Forms I, III and V. While Kyp fought aggressively with Form V, but unlike the Sith, he wasn't fueled by rage or hate, but in a very controlled and precise manner. His incredible potential in that regard, was enough for him to master the art of lightsaber dueling in only a few weeks upon training in the Jedi Praxeum; to the extent he was considered above everyone there - including talented swordsman like Corran Horn and Gantoris, respectively. He has battled and slew many Yuuzhan Vong during the war, and was later placed on a equal tier to the likes of Kyle Katarn, and above the more serene Cighal - according to the Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker.