Gira

Gira was a Human male Jedi Knight who survived the initial stages of the Great Jedi Purge, which was ordered by Galactic Emperor Palpatine after the end of the Clone Wars. Gira was in charge of protecting a group of Padawans, but the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader eventually found Gira and the Padawans aboard a starship, the commander of which was assisting them in evading the Galactic Empire. As Imperial stormtroopers attacked Gira's ship, the Jedi fended them off but was eventually ambushed by Vader, who defeated Gira in lightsaber combat. Vader promised to spare the Padawans—who were fleeing the ship aboard an escape vessel—if Gira would pledge his loyalty to Vader. Gira agreed, but was betrayed by Vader when the Dark Lord ordered the ship's commander—who had also betrayed Gira—to activate explosives that had been placed aboard the Padawans' ship. After Vader explained to Gira that he had broken the Jedi's spirit, Gira committed suicide.
==Biography==
Gira, a Human male, was a Jedi Knight who managed to survive the first stages of the Great Jedi Purge, which was ordered by the former Galactic Republic Supreme Chancellor and current Emperor Palpatine at the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY. At some point during the Purge, Gira took a group of Jedi Padawans into his care in order to protect them from the Galactic Empire.
Eventually, the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader located Gira and the Padawans aboard a ship, the commander of which was aiding the Jedi in evading Imperial forces. Vader and his group of Imperial stormtroopers captured Gira's ship. During the battle, Gira ordered the ship's commander via a comlink to get the Padawans to the ship's escape vessel. The commander informed Gira that they needed the Jedi's assistance at the southern airlock. After Gira defeated the stormtroopers at the airlock, the ship's commander told Gira that Vader had just entered the ship and was 700 meters away from his position. As Gira was investigating the area, he noticed that some of the dead Imperial troops on the ground, whom he had not killed, had been shot through their backs. When Gira asked the commander about this, Vader ambushed him. As Gira engaged in lightsaber combat with Vader, he began to be drawn to the dark side of the Force. Vader offered to spare Gira's life, provided that the Jedi join him. However, Gira retorted that his life did not matter and vowed to continue fighting Vader.
Vader eventually managed to disarm Gira and offered to spare the Padawans' lives, but only if the Jedi joined him. Gira accused Vader of lying to him, but the Dark Lord reiterated his promise, and Gira finally swore his loyalty to Vader after the latter repeated his promise once more. Vader then directed Gira's attention to a group of monitors, which showed the Padawans' escape vessel fleeing the scene. The ship's commander contacted Gira through the Jedi's comlink and asked to speak to Vader, who asked the commander whether the explosives that had been put on the Padawans' escape vessel were charged, which the commander confirmed. Gira watched in horror as Vader ordered the escape ship's destruction. Vader then revealed to Gira that the ship's commander had joined Vader after the commander realized that Gira would not be able to fend off Vader's forces. Gira asked Vader why he had decided to break his will rather than kill him, and Vader replied that while the Emperor preferred to possess rather than destroy, Gira served only to save the Padawans, which Vader felt was unworthy service to his Master. As Vader left, he told Gira that he had successfully broken his spirit and that whatever Gira did would serve Palpatine, because the Jedi had completed his duty to the Emperor. After Vader departed, Gira took his lightsaber and ignited it into his chest, killing himself.
==Personality and traits==
Gira was a red-haired Human male who was willing to go to great lengths to protect the group of Padawans that he was assigned to look after. As a Jedi, Gira felt that it was his duty to serve, and he viewed his life as unimportant compared to his duty to the Padawans. When Darth Vader confronted Gira, the Dark Lord weakened the Jedi's will, tempting Gira to join the dark side. He joined Vader on the condition that the Dark Lord would spare the Padawans' lives. After Vader betrayed Gira's trust and destroyed the escape ship containing the Padawans, Gira became enraged, realizing that it was his destiny to not only fail at his duty, but to fail himself as well. With the deaths of the Padawans, Gira felt that since he had failed his duty, he was finished. As such, after Vader left Gira, the Jedi proceeded to take his own life.
==Powers and abilities==
Gira was skilled at using a lightsaber during combat. He utilized a lightsaber with a blue crystal. The Jedi was capable of defeating multiple stormtroopers and was even able to hold his own against Darth Vader for a brief time. He could use the Force to push multiple opponents, and also used it to lift and move objects, such as his lightsaber.
==Behind the scenes==
Gira first appeared in the short comic "The Duty," which was featured in Star Wars Tales 12 and written by Christian Read. In the comic, he was drawn by John McCrea. The story was later compiled into a trade paperback version and republished in Star Wars Tales Volume 3. Plausible stories in Star Wars Tales 1–20 were initially viewed as S-canon until referenced in a non-Tales source, at which point the subject matter was elevated to C-canon status. Gira later received his own entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, thus elevating the character's appearance in The Duty to C-canon.
==Appearances==
* 
==Sources==
*The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
==Notes and references==
Category:Humans
Category:Jedi Purge victims
Category:Males
Category:Post-Ruusan Jedi Knights