20. Loden Greatstorm and Bell Zettifar
Light of the Jedi (the first story in The High Republic publishing initiative) by Charles Soule (author of several Star Wars comics for Marvel, such as The Rise of Kylo Ren and Darth Vader) introduced us to several new Jedi characters. Two standout characters were Jedi Master Loden Greatstorm and his Padawan Bell Zettifar. Loden is a respected mentor, and Bell clearly finds strength and companionship in their apprenticeship.
Bell’s particular struggle as a Padawan is jumping from elevated heights and using the Force to land without injury. Loden challenges him to push himself to master this skill, but he’s also intimately aware of Bell’s limitations, saving him from falling to his death multiple times. The story the two find themselves caught up in is intense, but the challenges they face don’t lessen the fun and camaraderie they share. In the face of impossible danger, as the two attempt to rescue a family being pursued by the Nihil, Loden trusts Bell to trust his own instincts to save the family’s youngest daughter even as Loden is taken captive by the Nihil. Loden and Bell represent a Jedi master and apprentice relationship void of the corruptions created by the Clone Wars.