Star Wars: The Truth About Who Killed Jedi Master Luminara & Order 66 Gets Dark

Throughout the Clone Wars, Jedi Master Luminara Unduli was an asset to the Jedi Order. As one of the three major "Star Wars" characters to call Mirial their home, she worked alongside Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker against Separatist forces while mentoring young Padawans Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus. However, in the wake of Order 66, Luminara's story took a dark turn.

Luminara was actually one of the Jedi who survived Order 66, but she suffered a fate many may deem worse than death. Following Palpatine's galaxy-wide takeover, she became a prisoner of the Empire, confined within a remote prison called the Spire. While other Jedi assumed she died during Order 66, Luminara spent the rest of her short life in prison until the Grand Inquisitor arrived and executed her.

After her execution, the Grand Inquisitor left Luminara's remains in her cell, using them as bait to lure Jedi to their deaths. Through rumors and holograms, the Empire managed to spread word across the galaxy that Luminara had survived Order 66 and was a prisoner in the Stygeon system. The stories prompted those who heard them, like Kanan Jarrus, to attempt to rescue her from the Spire. However, upon arriving, they would only find Luminara's decaying remains in her former cell, with the Grand Inquisitor waiting nearby to strike down the Jedi.

Executing Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and then using her remains to lure other Jedi to their deaths is undoubtedly one of the Empire's worst crimes, taking advantage of Luminara's remains and her connection to the Force. While it doesn't get much darker than that for "Star Wars," the Empire's plan ultimately backfired, giving Luminara the rest she so desperately deserved.

In "Star Wars Rebels," Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and the rest of the Ghost crew catch wind of Luminara being held prisoner in the Stygeon system and decide to mount a rescue mission for the Jedi Master that Kanan looked up to as a Padawan. Naturally, Kanan and Ezra Bridger fall into the Empire's trap, barely escaping from the Grand Inquisitor with their lives. Understanding the full picture of Luminara's fate, Kanan spreads a message across the galaxy that she is dead, exposing the Empire's sick tactics and ensuring they could no longer use her remains to kill anyone else.

While revenge goes against the Jedi code, Luminara eventually gets just that, helping Rey (Daisy Ridley) defeat Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) during the Battle of Exegol in "Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker." Her voice is one of the many Jedi of the past who reach out to Rey, urging her to accept light side destiny and destroying Palpatine and the remains of the Empire once and for all.