Star Wars just introduced a new Order 66 survivor

A new Order 66 survivor has been revealed, and they are still alive decades after the fall of the Jedi Order. While Revenge of the Sith focuses on Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi as survivors of Order 66, many others have been revealed over the years, including Ahsoka Tano, Cal Kestis, Caleb Dume/Kanan Jarrus, and Grogu.

While the ultimate fates of survivors like Ahsoka, Cal, and Grogu are still unknown, many others, including Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Kanan, died long before the events of the sequel trilogy. That makes the latest survivor reveal all the more notable, as they are introduced in the year between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

The Jedi, whose name is Grandea, is introduced in Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #6 by Charles Soule, the most recent issue of a comic series that follows Kylo Ren after becoming the First Order's Supreme Leader in The Last Jedi. The series has seen Darth Vader's loyal servant Vaneé taking Kylo on a journey to better understand the grandfather he reveres and to further tap into the dark side of the Force.

In the most recent issue, Vaneé takes Kylo to the snowy Mid-Rim planet Lahtee, where a Jedi survivor resides. Vaneé explains that the reports on this particular Jedi survivor came shortly before Darth Vader's death, but Vader did not pursue this lead because he was too focused on his son, Luke Skywalker, at the time.

Kylo goes to the local cantina and begins torturing the bartender for information about the Jedi. However, he is soon disarmed of his lightsaber by the elderly Jedi Grandea, who ignites the weapon and admonishes him because of the cracked kyber crystal.

Since Legacy of Vader #6 ends with Grandea telling Kylo, "For now young man... let's chat," the Jedi's fate will not be revealed until a later issue, and will likely culminate with Grandea dying at Kylo's hands.

Some fans take issue with the ever-growing list of Order 66 survivors in canon, but the introduction of Jedi Grandea does not bother me at all. It makes sense with the current canon, and it is fitting for Kylo's story between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Since there were approximately 10,000 Jedi before Order 66, it is statistically reasonable to think that there were a hundred or more survivors, and as seen in other stories, the majority of them were hunted down and killed by Darth Vader and the Inquisitors.

Vaneé's explanation also addresses how Grandea has managed to be one of the oldest known Order 66 survivors. Even though Luke may have never known of Grandea's existence, he arguably saved the elder Jedi's life since Vader's focus on his son prevented him from going after Grandea.

This makes Grandea a perfect addition to Kylo's arc, as he now hunts a Jedi who escaped Vader and who was unknowingly saved by Luke. While Kylo has faced Luke's Force projection, other students from Luke's Jedi academy, and Rey, he has never faced someone who was part of the Order before its fall. This makes Grandea a formidable opponent in ways that are obvious, but also in ways that Kylo cannot foresee.

Even though Grandea is all but guaranteed to die, what happens before this death may not push Kylo further to the dark side, and can instead push him closer to the light and toward becoming Ben Solo again in The Rise of Skywalker.

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