Faya Rodemos

"Collectors should keep an eye out for statues of the Four Sages of Dwartii—Sistros, Braata, Faya, and Yanjun [sic]—the ancient philosophers and lawmakers who influenced the earliest laws in the Galactic Republic."

―Eloc Throno, Traveler's Guide to Batuu^[2]

Faya Rodemos was one of the Four Sages of Dwartii, controversial philosopher-lawgivers who influenced the early laws of the Galactic Republic. A thousand years after the Republic's founding, a bronzium statue of Rodemos was kept by the door to Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine's private office.

Biography[]

Faya Rodemos^[3] was a member of the Four Sages of Dwartii, an ancient group of controversial philosophers and lawgivers who hailed from the Inner Rim planet Dwartii.^[1] During the Sith Order's reign over the galaxy,^[3] after the Old Republic had been driven from the^[4] galactic^[5] capital of Coruscant,^[4] statues were created of Rodemos as well as the other Sages: Braata Danlos, Sistros Nevet, and Yanjon Zelmar.^[3] With the aid of the Jedi Order, the Republic defeated the Sith^[4] in 1032 BBY, marking a presumed end to their Order.^[5]

Faya Sheev Anakin — A statue of Faya Rodemos stood outside the private office of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

Due to the decisiveness of their victory, the Republic resettled its capital on Coruscant and re-formed itself into the Galactic Republic^[4] that same year.^[5] Rodemos and the other Sages influenced the renewed Republic's politics in the early years of its rule,^[1] including its first laws.^[6] The four eventually came to be regarded as having been controversial lawmakers with contentious views.^[7] By 19 BBY,^[8] large bronzium statues of both Rodemos and Yanjon Zelmar flanked the door to the private office of the Republic Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine—secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious—on Coruscant,^[9] where it stood like a sentry.^[7] Lining the hallway to Palpatine's quarters was a collection of slightly smaller statues of the Sages.^[1]

In 34 ABY,^[10] within his guide book for the planet Batuu, Traveler's Guide to Batuu, historian Eloc Throno instructed collectors to look out for^[2] a set of statuettes showcasing the Four Sages of Dwartii, Rodemos among them. The statuettes had come into the hands of the^[1] Ithorian antiques dealer Dok-Ondar^[2] and were put up for sale at his shop, the Den of Antiquities,^[1] the same year.^[11] Rodemos' statue in both collections depicted the Sage as wearing an ornate, hooded robe^[3]^[12] and a mask.^[7] Details about Rodemos' statue were mentioned in a book looking at the use of propaganda by various factions, A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy, that was released shortly after the Hosnian Cataclysm^[4] in 34 ABY.^[5]

Behind the scenes[]

"Gert [Stevens, concept artist] did two new statues."

―Production Designer Gavin Bocquet, on Stevens designing the Faya Rodemos and Yanjon Zelmar statues for Revenge of the Sith^[13]

Faya Yanjon statue concepts — Concept sketches of Faya Rodemos and Yanjon Zelmar's statues by Gert Stevens

A statue of Faya Rodemos first appeared in the 2005 prequel trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.^[12] Gert Stevens, a concept artist for the film, drew sketches of Rodemos' as well as Yanjon Zelmar's statue.^[13] In the new Star Wars canon, Rodemos' first name was identified in the 2016 reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations, in a portion detailing locations from Revenge of the Sith.^[9] That section was originally written by Kerrie Dougherty for the 2005 Star Wars Legends reference book of the same name, which also marked the first identification of "Faya" in Legends.^[14]

It was not until 2019, however,^[15] that the surname "Rodemos" was given to Faya through the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge land^[3] at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios.^[15] At Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities, one of the land's retail locations, Rodemos' full name is labeled on a box containing small statues of Rodemos and Braata Danlos, which attendees can purchase.^[3] In her 2023 reference book Star Wars 100 Objects, author Kristin Baver included some thoughts on Rodemos' statue. She described the mask it depicted as obsecuring the mouth in a way that could be interpreted as "silencing the sage." Baver also pointed out that the statue's arms were crossed in supplication or instead bound by an assailant, noting that it looked as if Faya was being restrained.^[7]