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This Star Wars-related article or section describes an aspect of Star Wars in a primarily in-universe style. Please rewrite this article to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. |
| Star Wars character | |
| Quinlan Vos | |
|---|---|
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| Position | Jedi Master, Republic General |
| Homeworld | Kiffu |
| Species | Kiffar |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Jedi Order |
| Portrayed by | Unknown extra |
Quinlan Vos is a fictional character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, featured primarily in the Star Wars: Republic comics book series.
Contents |
Traits
Vos is a Jedi Master, hailing originally from the planet Kiffu. He has long, dreadlock-like hair and a band of pale yellow across his upper face. He has the power of psychometry, which allows him to read "memories" from inanimate objects through physical contact. He was a student under Qui-Gon Jinn for a time. Quinlan finished his training as a Jedi under Jedi Master Tholme. He later trained Aayla Secura as his own Padawan. Quinlan has a long history of struggle with the dark side of the Force, particularly after sustaining permanent amnesia after a drug overdose administered by an enemy. When Quinlan was young, his parents were killed by the vampiric Anzati. Later, on the planet Kiffex, Secura became entranced by an ancient Anzati Dark Jedi. Aided by Master Tholme, Quinlan amassed a network of spy contacts within the Separatist movement. Quinlan's network, however, failed to provide any advance warning of the trap on Geonosis, and Vos was ashamed of his failure to save so many Jedi at the start of the Clone Wars. Aayla, thinking that her former master turned to the dark side, decided to search for him. However, Master Tholme would not allow it, for he knew it would foil their plan of secrecy. Quinlan Vos was promoted to Jedi Master in the graphic novel Rite Of Passage. He was elevated to Master at the same time as his Padawan Aayla Secura became a Jedi Knight.
Name
The name "Quinlan" is an anglicised form of the Irish name Caoindealbháin, which is both an Irish male first name and a surname. Its compounds are caoin - denoting beauty, gracefulness - and dealbh, meaning form or shape. Quinlan can therefore be taken to denote "fitness","free spirited" and "strength" in the context of "well-shaped" and "athletic". The initial compound of the anglicised form, quin, is derived from the ancient Gaelic personal name, Conn (hence surnames such as Quinn). However Conn and caoin are not synonomus; the former is a name, the latter a descriptive term. While not a common first name these days, it is still a popular surname since the Quinlan family line still continues, especially in Cork, Tipperary, Limerick and Waterford, though they may be two or more unrelated families bearing the same or similar name. His surname "Vos" means "Fox" in Dutch or Flemish. Since in German, Dutch or Flemish fairytales the fox is always a cunning but somehow shady character whose loyalties are seldom clear, it is quite safe to assume that this surname was chosen for a reason.
Character history
Pre Clone Wars
Around the time of the Battle of Naboo (circa The Phantom Menace), Quinlan is on an undercover mission on Tatooine. He sees Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn at Mos Espa.
Clone Wars
Quinlan plays a major part in the Clone Wars by infiltrating Count Dooku's Inner Circle and giving information to the Jedi. Dooku eventually leads him to the dark side by revealing to him that his great-aunt had betrayed his parents to the Anzati. Quinlan kills his great-aunt on his homeworld, and is accepted fully into Dooku's command and shortly works as a triple agent against the Republic. He assassinates a corrupt Republic Senator, Viento, on the belief he is Sith, and battles K'Kruhk, injuring him in the process. In the end, however, it turns out that Vos has been loyal to the Republic all along, although in order to completely infiltrate Dooku's Inner Circle he had to fool even those on the Republic's side into thinking that he was allied with Dooku, and committed many evil deeds in the process. During the Battle of Saleucami, Quinlan reveals his true loyalties, overcoming Dooku's temptations to truly turn him to the dark side and killing the Dark Jedi Sora Bulq. He believes that Darth Maul and Dooku are apprentices to the true Dark Lord of the Sith, and it is this Sith Lord who is responsible for the Clone Wars. He believes that if he could uncover the identity of this Sith Lord and kill him, he could end the war and atone for his misdeeds. Shortly afterward, Quinlan's lover Khaleen Hentz tells him that she is pregnant. Quinlan tells Khaleen to go to the far edges of the galaxy where she and their unborn child would be safe, and promises that once the Clone Wars were over he would leave the Jedi Order and find her.
Returning to the Republic, Quinlan is given command of a battalion of Clone troopers, and moves his troops to Boz Pity. This is mentioned by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith when news of the events concerning the Clone Wars is heard at the Jedi Temple. In the comic book novelization of Episode III, Quinlan is on Kashyyyk riding on top of a Clone Turbo Tank when Palpatine issues Order 66 to the Clone troopers throughout the galaxy, causing them to turn on their Jedi Generals. Another tank fires at the one Quinlan is riding on, and he is presumed to be killed in the fire. Quinlan Vos escapes into the woods of Kashyyyk, eluding the clone troopers. He clings to his training as a Jedi through his pain, using his connection to the Force to overcome his opponents. He is eventually tracked by Captain Fei, who tells Quinlan that if he doesn't come out of hiding, Fei would call in an airstrike and kill himself, Quinlan, and the neighboring Wookiee village. Quinlan makes up his mind that he could not run and hide, and that he would never track down the second Sith Lord. His destiny is to stop Fei and protect the innocent Wookiees. Another story is that Villie soon comes looking for Quinlan and finds him on the ground, the dead Fei a few feet away. Soon afterward, a squad of clone troopers comes through the woods, and finds Villie apparently burning Quinlan's body. Villie claims to have killed the Jedi himself, though the body is actually that of Fei. As the clone troopers leave, Villie muttered under his breath, "All debts paid, Jedi." Still another story says that when Vos attacks Fei, he is killed by the clone commander himself. Vos cuts Fei's gun in half, but Fei bests him in hand to hand combat, breaking Vos' back. He then kills him with a vibro-knife. In a cave on Kashyyyk, Khaleen and her baby had meet up with Jedi Masters Tholme and T'ra Saa, along with some Wookiees. Khaleen is watching a holocube from Vos, explaining his feelings for her, when suddenly he walks in, and tells her himself. She had feared that he was dead, but due to Villie's trickery Quinlan had sneaked off-planet and been healed. Khaleen falls into his arms, then presents their child, Korto, to Quinlan. Quinlan paints the child's face with the same markings as his own, and proclaims to the baby that he will be raised in the Light, and the Darkness will never touch him.
Ghost
Quinlan Vos briefly appeared in the comic book Ghost, which takes place about 10 years before events portrayed in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. A teenage Han Solo meets Quinlan while looking for a map. Just then, bounty hunters appear, and Han is pushed into a Sarlaac. Quinlan uses his Force powers to rescue him. This encounter, however, may or may not be canonical, as the Tales series was considered part of the Star Wars: Infinities line of "What-If" style stories.
Vos in the Star Wars TV series?
Lucas himself instructed the writers of the Republic comic book series not to kill off the Quinlan Vos character. Since then, Lucas' instructions have fueled rumours that Vos may appear as a minor character in the Star Wars live-action TV series, but they are still to be confirmed. Lucas had originally written a scene for Revenge of the Sith involving Vos, but ultimately, he only received a passing mention, from Obi-Wan Kenobi, in the film.
Appearances
- Star Wars Republic: Twilight
- Most of the Republic comics
- Ghost
