The lasting legacy of Luminara Unduli

Not many Jedi's impact can be seen as influencing Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, or Kanan Jarrus. However, there is one Jedi master who impacted each of these characters in different ways: Luminara Unduli. She has been seen throughout the franchise and is one of the unsung heroes of the Jedi Order.

Her first introduction was in Attack of the Clones when she joined the legion of Jedi at the Battle of Geonosis. She was seen throughout the run of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including in the Season 1 episode "Cloak of Darkness." Throughout the episode, she taught Ahsoka valuable lessons in discipline and patience but also realized how smart Ahsoka was and what the padawan could become.

Later, Luminara was heavily featured in the Geonosis arc in Season 2 of the series. She worked with Anakin, Ahsoka, and her own padawan, Barriss Offee, to bring down the Geonosisian leader, Poggle the Lesser, and the planet's droid factory. It was an important episode, as both Anakin and Luminara were not sure if their padawans had survived. Anakin could not let Ahsoka go and hinted at his eventual issues with loss and downfall to the dark side later on in the story.

She was caught up in Order 66 and the Jedi purge and was captured by the Empire and killed. However, her body was used to lure in another Jedi, such as Kanan Jarrus. He came to rescue her but soon discovered the ploy set by the Grand Inquisitor.

On The Clone Wars, she was voiced by British actress Olivia D'Abo. She spoke to starwars.com during the run of the series about her role. "Those two things are fun and challenging to play because it gives Luminara great dimension and depth. These are two different kinds of strengths. I believe one of the components of a great Jedi is to know when to bring forth both these qualities at the right time," said D'Abo.

D'Abo returned to voice the character in The Rise of Skywalker. She, along with her other Jedi, spoke to Rey Skywalker for her to find the courage to continue to fight Emperor Palpatine. For the character to be included allows her to have a powerful and impactful legacy.

"In the night, find the light, Rey," voiced Luminara to the sequel trilogy's main character. Finding the light came to be a powerful statement at the right time for franchise fans. Finding a strong character such as Luminara is one such way to find that light.