Bode Akuna

"You're a monster, Bode."
"No. I'm a father. The first time I held her… I saw the entire galaxy in her eyes. You can't understand. "
"I understand betrayal."

―Cal Kestis and Bode Akuna^[2]

Bode Akuna was a Force-sensitive human male who served as a Jedi Knight who was assigned to Republic Intelligence by the Jedi High Council during the Clone Wars under the command of Lank Denvik. He undertook several undercover mission throughout the war until Order 66 was issued, leading Bode to abandon his Jedi teachings and disappear.^[2]

At one point during the Imperial Era, he married and started a family with a woman named Tayala, whom he settled down with on the planet Birren, and together had a daughter they named Kata Akuna. However, he later lost his wife to the Inquisitorius and managed to escape with his daughter, becoming a mercenary and freelance gunslinger. After being on the run for so long, Akuna reluctantly cut a deal with ex-colleague Lank Denvik—now a chief supervisor within the Imperial Security Bureau—who questioned the Inquisitorius' capabilities. Akuna offered to work for Denvik as an Imperial Agent in exchange for protection for himself and Kata from the Inquisitorius. Seeing it as a chance to discredit the Inquisitorius, Denvik accepted Akuna’s offer and provided private quarters for him and his daugher at the ISB listening post he commanded in the Nova Garon system. Despite his effectiveness as an covert operative, Bode disliked working for the Empire and only saw it as a means to his own survival.^[2]

During the Stinger Mantis crew's crusade against the Empire, Akuna was tasked with finding and allying himself with the rebel Jedi Cal Kestis and his crew in an effort to locate his second Jedi Master, Cere Junda. Needing to pose as a mercenary gunslinger with no love for the Empire, Akuna managed to keep his Force sensitivity hidden from Kestis. Despite this duplicity, Akuna came to consider Kestis his best friend as the two fought several battles together side by side. When Kestis discovered the existence of the hidden planet of Tanalorr, Akuna saw it as the perfect opportunity to leave the Empire and disappear with Kata. Akuna soon accepted Kestis’s offer to join the Mantis crew in search of Tanalorr and for a time abandoned his previous mission. However, Kestis soon decided to share the location of Tanalorr with the Hidden Path, reducing the planet's secrecy and creating a chance for the Empire to discover the world as well.^[2]

Desperate to keep his daughter safe, Akuna betrayed Kestis by anonymously tipping off the Inquistorious to the location of the Path safehouse on Jedha, stealing the Abyss compass necessary for safely navigating to Tanalorr during the subsequent attack. He then lured Kestis to Denvik's headquarters, so that the Jedi would take out the base and inadvertently destroy any trace of Akuna's survival. Fleeing to Tanalorr with his daughter, the gunslinger was pursued by Kestis and the crew of the Stinger Mantis. Despite being offered mercy by Cal, Akuna continued to fight him and his crew, culminating in Kestis executing him during their duel on Tanalorr.^[2]

Biography[]

The Clone Wars[]

During the Clone Wars, Bode Akuna was a Jedi Knight who operated within Republic Intelligence, as assigned by the Jedi High Council, and went undercover on missions throughout the war. Bode was mentored by Lank Denvik during this time, working closely with him.^[2]

Rise of the Galactic Empire[]

Bode used his skills as a spy that he learnt working for Republic Intelligence to evade the Jedi Purge when Darth Sidious executed Order 66 and reorganized the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Bode went into hiding, where he fell in love with Tayala, whom he married and started a family with on the planet Birren, Tayala giving birth to Kata Akuna. The Inquisitorius eventually tracked him down. However, Tayala sacrificed herself to buy Bode and Kata time to escape. Knowing he couldn't run forever, Akuna sought out Denvik, who had become a supervisor for the Imperial Security Bureau. To ensure Kata's safety and the revelation of the identity of his wife's murderer, Bode offered to work as a secret agent for Denvik, outside of the Empire's records.^[2]

Joining the Stinger Mantis crew[]

Mission on Coruscant[]

In 9 BBY,^[1] Bode went undercover and became a member of the crew of the Stinger Mantis, spying on the Jedi Cal Kestis. Before his first operation with the Mantis crew, Bode reported in to Denvik, who was unsure of Bode's ability to succeed where other ISB attempts to infiltrate Saw Gerrera's operation had failed. Nevertheless, Bode acted in top form to keep his identity as a former Jedi secret, and helped retrieve sensitive information from Imperial senator Daho Sejan's luxury yacht on Coruscant. Bode disguised himself as a member of the Coruscant Police and helped in pretending to capture Cal, delivering him to Sejan. After Kestis incapacitated the yacht with the help of BD-1, he and Bode faced and defeated a KX series security droid, K-405. Bode and the rest of the crew infiltrated the yacht and apprehended Sejan, with Kestis mind-tricking him, gaining access to the sensitive information that revealed the Empire's rapid expansion throughout the galaxy.^[2]

Upon exiting the yacht, the crew was ambushed by LAAT/le patrol gunships and the Ninth Sister, who killed Sejan with her lightsaber. Gabs suffered a fatal wound when protecting Kestis from gunship fire, and Klatoonian twins Koob and Lizz were killed in the chaos. When Kestis readied himself to face the Ninth Sister, Bode and Bravo shot down the gunship, causing it to crash into the yacht. While making their escape, Bode and Bravo crashed the yacht into the Imperial forces while Kestis took down a gunship.^[2]

After Kestis killed the Ninth Sister, Bravo revealed two Z-95 headhunter fighters he had prepared for Bode and himself, while Kestis prepared the Mantis. The men planned to rendezvous later using locator beacons. Upon making their escape, several TIE fighters confronted them, and Bode had to break formation to draw them off, and Bravo was shot down by a TIE fighter right before he could make the jump to hyperspace.^[2]

The search for Tanalorr[]

Rejoining Cal on Koboh[]

Bode updated Denvik on the loss of the rest of the Mantis crew, and assured him that as a master of disguise, Kestis did not suspect Bode in the slightest. Soon after, Bode headed to Pyloon's Saloon on the Outer Rim planet Koboh. He pled to Greez Dritus and M-6NK that he was not a spy for the Bedlam Raiders and he was only searching for Cal Kestis, but the saloon owners would not buy the story. Kestis soon appeared and dispelled the misunderstanding. Bode, Greez and Monk soon meet ZN-A4 "Zee," who spoke of the fabled planet Tanalorr beyond the Koboh Abyss. While Cal went to the Basalt Forest to activate the Forest Array, a scientific installation dating to the High Republic Era, Monk repaired Zee, and Bode escorted Dritus to repair the Mantis before the Bedlam Raiders could take it. Bode commented that the Mantis had a stylish paint job and that he would ride it until the thrusters fell off. When Cal returned to Pyloon's Saloon, he spoke of Dagan Gera and added that Tanalorr was real. Bode decided to join Cal on his journey to go to Jedha to find Jedi Master Cere Junda, believing from experience that you had to chase a lead while it was hot. Now aware of the fugitive Jedi Master's location, Bode informed Denvik of his presence on Koboh, but withheld Junda's location to ensure his leverage over Denvik is not lost. He advised Denvik not to send Imperial troops to Koboh for fear of jeopardizing the mission.^[2]

Journey with Cal and search of Tanalorr[]

On Jedha, Cal presented Bode to the Nightsister Merrin, Junda and Jedi Master Eno Cordova. Bode was impressed with Cere's monastery, thinking the location to be clever as the walls and stone ensured any communications would be jammed from the Empire. He also quickly noted that were was tension between Cal and Cere. With Cal's information and the partially recovered Jedi Archives in the Narkis Anchorite compound, Cordova located former Jedi Dagan Gera's base on Koboh and his laboratory on Koboh's Shattered Moon. Before their departure, Bode gave a blaster to Cal, telling him that while it may be unorthodox for a Jedi to use one, Cal should use every tool at his disposal against the Empire. He also wanted to give a blaster to Merrin, but she declined, showing a glimpse of her dagger. Bode, Cal and Greez went to the Shattered Moon and Koboh, where Cal retrieved two Abyss compasses, devices used to navigate the Koboh Abyss. Meanwhile, Bode stayed behind to protect the Mantis. Whilst on the Shattered Moon, Bode commented that when Koboh’s moon shattered, the Republic settlement collapsed which created the spires and said that it wasn't an old ruin, it was a tomb. The group returned to Jedha, and Cal gave the compasses to Cordova, who remarked that one of them seemed to be a copy, and that both were damaged by a lightsaber. As Cal went with Merrin to find Brother Armias before the Empire could, Bode stayed behind with Cordova to try help him repair the compasses. Unfortunately, Armias was killed by a Trident-class assault ship deployed by the Empire to drill their way into the Pilgrim's Sanctuary, a safe house for the Hidden Path.^[2]

Upon the return of Cal and Merrin, Bode and Cordova showed Cal that they found relevant information in the Archives. Centuries earlier, the Republic established a colony on Koboh to study an anomaly called the "Koboh Abyss". Jedi Master Santari Khri led the search team. Their firsts attempts to cross the Abyss were disastrous. The Republic nearly abandoned the project until Dagan Gera volunteered to go alone and discover Tanalorr. Using the data from his journey, Khri created the Abyss compass to guide the others to Tanalorr. The Jedi then built a temple on the hidden world. But this era of peace and prosperity ended with the invasion of the Nihil. Cal wondered how the marauders could cross the Abyss, and Bode deduced that they had stolen a compass. The Republic then abandoned Tanalorr, and the Council ordered Khri to destroy the compass. Dagan refused and turned against the Order. As the discussion shifted to the Gen'Dai Rayvis, a member of a species which seldom aligned with other species, Bode remarked that Rayvis must have worked for Gera for a long time. Cordova said that despite his efforts, the compasses Cal brought back were too damaged to be repaired. However, Cordova added that one compass remained unaccounted for. Cal suspected that they could retrieve it intact. Cere and Cordova stayed on Jedha, while Bode, Cal, Merrin and Greez returned to Koboh. En route, Bode told Greez that he didn't think he'd ever meet a Latero like him again and praised his cooking.^[2]

Rescue of Zee[]

Upon their arrival to Koboh, Mosey Cimmaron and Turgle informed Cal that the Bedlam Raiders attacked Pyloon's Saloon and kidnapped Zee. Mosey indicated that the base of the Bedlam Raiders was the crashed Lucrehulk-class battleship Primacy. Fearing she would be destroyed once Gera realized she knew nothing of the compass, Bode and Cal launched a daring strike to rescue her, while Merrin stayed with Mosey to defend Rambler's Reach Valley from potential Bedlam Raider attacks. While searching for Zee on the Lucrehulk, Bode remarked that Cal had feelings for Merrin and advised him to listen his heart. However, this was a calculated move by Akuna, planning to use Cal's love for Merrin to turn him to his own cause. Suddenly, Cal and Bode got separated by laser shield. Bode expertly destroyed two B1 battle droids and continued his path, planning to meet back up with Cal later. While separated, Bode finally realized that his feelings for Cal were more than an act, something he found fleetingly joyous before being crushingly frustrating. Even so, he used his commitment to his daughter to center himself. Once Cal found Zee, he engaged in a duel with Gera. Cal defended Zee from Dagan's furious attacks until Bode arrived to help push the fallen Jedi back. The friends then used unfired escape pods in the Forward Control Tower of the Lucrehulk to escape the massive Raider base. Before launching his pod, Akuna convinced Zee to power down under the guise of fixing a loose cable in order to check her databanks for any useful information on Tanalorr that he could use.^[2]

Search for the last compass[]

Bode, along with Cal, Merrin and Greez returned to the Shattered Moon to find Rayvis. While Cal sought out the Gen'Dai, Bode and the others fought vulture droids aboard the Mantis. After Cal defeated Rayvis, the group returned to Koboh, having learned that Dagan Gera was in Santari Khri's mountain observatory to search for the final compass. While Cal fought his way up to the top of the observatory, Bode covered him in his ship. All the while, Bedlam Raiders forces fought Imperial forces stationed on Koboh in the sky and in the observatory itself. The Imperials were quickly decimated by the Bedlam Raiders. Bode rejoined Cal and helped him fight two of Gera's lieutenants: San Dersen and Mads Gresh. Cal and Bode found Dagan while the fallen Jedi watched a final message from Khri. In the ensuing duel, Bode helped Cal to fight Dagan but was soon knocked out. However, BD-1 awoke him while Cal stabbed Dagan through the chest with his lightsaber. Bode then shot Dagan in the back and Cal finished him off with a slash across the chest. Bode and Cal retrieved the final compass, which had been somewhat damaged during the duel. Unbeknownst to Cal, Bode decided to steal Gera's red lightsaber for his own future use, admiring the balance of the blade and the ease with which his saber training returned to him. He vowed to himself to give Kestis one last chance before betraying his friend to the Empire. The men then planned to return to Jedha to see if Cordova could fix the compass, and Cal entertained Dagan's idea of reestablishing the Jedi Order on Tanalorr, instead using Tanalorr for the Hidden Path to raise an army to fight the Empire in secret, a thought Bode heavily disagreed with. Nevertheless, the two departed the observatory and returned to Jedha with the Mantis crew.^[2]

Betrayal[]

At some point, Denvik changed his deal with Akuna, agreeing that if Bode revealed the location of Cere Junda, he would tell him which Inquisitor killed Tayala. Either way, the ISB officer put increased pressure on Bode to betray his friend. The crew arrived back to the Anchorite base, and presented the compass to Master Cordova, who believed he could indeed repair this final copy. That evening, the Mantis crew sat around a bonfire together, and the group decided to begin the process of relocating the Hidden Path to Tanalorr. Cal sensed Akuna's unease, but Bode claimed he was just worried about his daughter and said he had Force visions of stormtroopers coming for Kata. Giving Kestis one more chance, Bode suggested that the two of them go to Tanalorr first to make sure it was safe, but the younger man stayed convinced that the hidden planet should belong to the Hidden Path. Bode told Kestis that he often thought about the Coruscant crew, remarking that Gabs gave him a hard time and he missed it. Cal thanked his friend for the role he played, and the two hugged. Bode then bid Kestis good night, claiming he was going to record a bedtime story for Kata.^[2]

Akuna, nearly deciding against it, connected to a secure Imperial channel, alerting them that he, an Imperial agent, had found a terrorist cell at the current location of his locator beacon. He called upon the Inquisitorius that there were multiple Jedi at the location, including Cere Junda. Bode evoked the name of Darth Vader to pursue Junda herself, an offer that the Dark Lord promptly responded to. The following day, as Master Cordova demonstrated the successful repair of the final Abyss compass, the base's klaxons blared, alerting of an impending Imperial attack. Akuna used the opportunity to take the compass and pull Cordova aside at blasterpoint. With an apology to Cal, Bode shot Master Cordova in the chest twice before dropping a thermal detonator as he ran from the Archive room. Fleeing the compound by speeder bike, Akuna was pursued by Kestis, who eventually caught the older man and destroyed his jetpack. Akuna told Kestis that he did not steal the compass to hand it to the Empire and that if Cal wanted to save his family from a terrible fate, he needed to get back to the Archive. However, in his anger, Cal swung his lightsaber at Bode, causing the former Jedi to reveal his Force sensitivity via a powerful Force push. Akuna reminded Cal that he was not the only one who survived the Purge, and ignited the red lightsaber of Dagan Gera. The men dueled, with Akuna knocking Kestis off the high ledge and shooting him in the left shoulder. Bode then flew off-planet as the Imperials, led by Darth Vader himself, took over the Anchorite base and killed Cere Junda.^[2]

Escape on Nova Garon[]

Akuna fled back to the ISB listening post in the Nova Garon system with the intention of picking up Kata and fleeing to Tanalorr. He used the opportunity to lure Kestis, who had survived his wounds on Jedha to the ISB satellite base by leaving his locator beacon active. Akuna intended for the presence of Kestis to attract the Inquisitorius to the base and eliminate Denvik to cover his tracks and ensure his secret past remained unknown to the Inquisitors. While preparing for their escape, he returned to his quarters to find Kata speaking with Kestis, who had infiltrated the base by wearing Denvik's uniform and using the Force to manipulate the guards. Akuna introduced Kestis to his daughter as his best friend, with whom he had recently had a fight but would get things settled. Akuna explained to Kestis his past in Republic Intelligence during the Clone Wars, his brief relationship with Tayala, cut short by the Inquisitors, and his off-the-record deal with Denvik. He expressed his frustration that Kestis gave away the opportunity to protect both of their families on Tanalorr to a bunch of strangers in the Hidden Path. Cal responded by admonishing Akuna's perceived selfishness in sacrificing thousands to save himself, finding his former friend a monster. Bode reminded Cal that he was no monster, but a father, something that Cal could never understand. When Kestis accused Akuna of luring him to the base to take it down, the latter threw a large table at Kestis using the Force, and fled from the officer's quarters with Kata. With an infuriated Kestis in pursuit, Akuna alerted the base of the Jedi's presence to delay him while he and Kata escaped on his Z-95, the only functional Abyss compass in hand.^[2]

Duel on Tanalorr[]

Akuna and his daughter used the Abyss compass to safely navigate the Koboh Abyss and arrive at the hidden world of Tanalorr. They landed their ship near the entrance to the defunct Jedi Temple. Unbeknownst to Akuna, Kestis had found a final message from Santari Khri, who detailed a way to access the hidden world by using the Alignment Control Tower near Rambler's Reach Outpost. With the help of Zee, Kestis, Merrin and Dritus used this knowledge to navigate the Koboh Abyss. After meeting once again with Kata, who expressed that she did not like the lonely planet, Kestis, BD-1 and Merrin were led by the young girl to the main hall of the temple to confront Akuna. Bode was shocked to see Kestis and Merrin on his planet. Believing it the only way to keep his daughter safe from the Empire, he drew a blaster on the Force wielders, and asked Kata to leave, despite her pleas to stand down. Akuna used the Force to crumble the bridge that separated Kata from the others, and ignited Gera's lightsaber to fight Kestis and Merrin. During the duel, he once again used the Force to crumble the structure of the temple, which forced Merrin to exit the battle to protect Kata from debris. Now one-on-one with Kestis, Akuna leveraged his sheer strength to overpower him. Nearly defeated, Kestis embraced the dark side of the Force to overpower Akuna and pin down the older man, holding his lightsaber to his throat. Kestis and Merrin gave Akuna one last chance to relent, begging him to stand down for the good of his daughter. Feigning giving up, Akuna relented, but asked Kestis whether he would be able to protect Kata when the Empire inevitably arrived. With Kestis distracted, Akuna sprung into action to put the younger Jedi into a choke hold, and threw his lightsaber aside. Kata ran to her father, hoping he would avoid violence, but Akuna pushed her back using the Force and placed Merrin into a powerful Force choke. Kestis managed to throw Akuna off balance, giving Merrin the opportunity to throw a dagger into Akuna's right shoulder. Both men scrambled to draw their blasters, but Akuna found his blaster fried and non-functional. Kestis then shot Akuna in the right side of his chest, the resulting pneumothorax causing severe dyspnea. Kestis fired a second shot into Akuna's chest, killing him.^[2]

Legacy[]

BodeFuneral-JediSurvivor — Kata looks over Bode's funeral pyre.

Bode Akuna was honored by the Mantis crew and his daughter with a funeral pyre on Tanalorr, which was shared with the funerals of Masters Junda and Cordova. The bodies were wrapped white sheets, resting on tables adorned with Tanalorr flora, in the tradition of the Jedi. Merrin used her magick to ignite the pyres, and the group paid their respects as their loved ones, who had become one with the Force, burned. Saying goodbye to her father, Kata placed her plush, Mookie, onto the pyre. She later left Tanalorr with the Mantis crew.^[2]

Personality and traits[]

"Does he suspect you?
Not a chance. I wouldn't have survived the purge if I couldn't become someone else. Rest of the crew is gone. I know what kind of friend he needs right now.
You always excelled at the art of disguise."

―Lank Denvik and Bode Akuna^[2]

Bode Akuna had black hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and a tall, muscular build.^[2]

Bode was on the surface sarcastic and jovial, but deep down, was traumatized from barely surviving the Jedi Purge and being hunted ever since. The loss of his wife compounded this trauma, instilling in Bode a powerful desire to protect his daughter, Kata Akuna. His wife's passing caused Bode to develop a deep fear of losing Kata, to the point he was willing to take violent and extreme measures to keep her safe. This eventually led to Bode turning to the dark side, as he valued Kata's safety above anyone else's to the point he refused to let other Force-sensitive refugees sheltered by the Hidden Path settle on Tanalorr, believing people he viewed as "complete strangers" could not be trusted with its location.^[2]

Powers and abilities[]

Bode was quite powerful and skilled with the Force, proficient with telekinesis, able to make use of it in various ways with little effort, such as lifting, pushing, choking, or pulling objects. He even had the strength to Force choke the likes of Cal and Merrin, with Cal requiring considerable effort to break out of the attack, and easily Force pushed Cal when he was caught off-guard. Bode was also proficient in using the Force to enhance his physical abilities, using dashes of Force enhanced speed to surprise Cal in their fights and amplifying his strength to perform various unblockable attacks that caused shockwaves upon hitting the ground on several occasions. Despite being Force-sensitive, Bode was able to conceal his connection to the Force to the point where even Jedi Masters could not sense it.^[2]

Bode displayed a degree of proficiency in lightsaber combat, preferring the aggressive, brutal style of Form V that complemented his muscular build, but the need to hide his Jedi heritage had made his skills rusty, causing him to instead combine the expert marksmanship and unarmed combat skills he gained as a mercenary with his lightsaber combat, which made him a deadly opponent, masterfully wielding a fluid fighting style that could overcome most advesaries. He defeated Cal Kestis in their first duel due to Cal being emotionally distracted and caught by surprise over Bode's true nature as a Jedi survivor, and even held his own against Cal and Merrin on Tanalorr for quite some time, but was ultimately defeated by Cal in one-on-one lightsaber combat.^[2]

Having served in Republic Intelligence during the Clone Wars, Bode was highly skilled in espionage, surveillance, and tracking, utilizing these skills to hide his daughter from his enemies and keep his true identity as a former Jedi hidden. He was also a skilled actor and manipulator, changing his personality to suit his target.^[2]

Equipment[]

BodeBlaster-Survivor — Akuna's blaster pistol

As a mercenary and gunslinger,^[3] Akuna utilized a jetpack, which he allegedly stole from a bounty hunter that pointed a blaster at Kata. He also used dual blaster pistols, thermal detonators, and shock grenades. Additionally, he owned another blaster pistol, the LW-896, that he later gave to Kestis. Following his betrayal of Kestis, Akuna carried half of Dagan Gera's red lightsaber.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

"He and Cal form a special bond. It's almost like they're brothers. And they're not exactly the same, but they really do complement each other. Beyond story considerations, Bode plays a role as a buddy A.I. character who aids in both combat and traversal."

―Stig Asmussen^[4]

Bode was first revealed in the reveal trailer for the 2023 video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.^[2] He was set to be an AI character who aids with both travel and combat.^[4] Akuna was portrayed by Noshir Dalal.^[5]