Kiro

Born on Iskalon, Kiro was a member of the School, a unified global organization comprising various aquatic species that made up the Iskalonians. He was known as a skilled and fierce warrior, adept at fighting the dangerous Chiaki in the planet's depths. Kiro wielded a simple sword with great effectiveness during these battles. He was a staunch supporter of Primor, the leader of both the School and Iskalon. Under Primor's leadership, the School aimed to integrate itself into galactic politics. Iskalonian delegates were dispatched to Gamandar to negotiate a peaceful resolution with the Galactic Empire after the Imperial Navy had conquered several worlds within the system. Tragically, the Empire murdered the Iskalonian representatives. This act of brutality shocked Kiro, turning him into a strong advocate for rebellion against the galactic government.

Kiro's hostile feelings towards the Empire were shared by many within the School, including Primor. Fearing the Empire's intentions, Primor initiated discussions with the Rebel Alliance. Lando Calrissian, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Chewbacca were sent to Iskalon to explore a potential alliance with the School. The Rebels were also searching for their missing comrade, Tay Vanis, hoping the School could assist, given their prior acquaintance with Vanis. Kiro was eager to fight the Empire and hoped the School and Rebellion would form an alliance.

While awaiting a final decision on the potential alliance, Kiro unintentionally overheard a fellow Iskalonian named Kendle betraying the Rebel Alliance's location to Imperial Admiral Griggor Tower. Enraged that one of his own was aiding the Empire, Kiro flew into a fit of anger, destroying Kendle's water helmet, effectively leaving her to die. Iskalonians required rebreather suits to survive outside of water. Removing Kendle's suit was a near death sentence, but Kiro had also damaged his suit during the struggle and was forced to retreat before finishing the job. While Kendle struggled to get to water, an Imperial missile struck the planet, creating a monstrous tidal wave that threatened to destroy the underwater city of Pavillion. The enormous wave struck the city with tremendous force, submerging the entire area and inadvertently saving Kendle from certain death.

Kiro was furious with Kendle's escape and resolved to track down the traitor. In his quest to find Kendle, Kiro encountered Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker. The Rebels were unaware of Kendle's treachery and had been trying to save her before the huge tidal wave had hit. The two Rebels had become submerged in the water following the tidal wave, and with no sense of direction, they had decided to follow Kendle to apparent rescue. However, Kendle was instead leading them to a quick death by drowning. Kiro observed the treachery and was able to drive Kendle away, but the Rebels, unaware of Kendle's betrayal, kept Kiro from finishing the deed. Unable to explain himself while underwater, Kiro led the group to the surface, still searching for Kendle's whereabouts.

Back on the surface, Kiro surveyed the wreckage with the rest of the group. Pavillion had been totally destroyed, and Primor had been killed by the force of the water. Kendle approached the destroyed city to pay her respects, but Kiro once again tried to kill his fellow Iskalonian. To avoid imminent death, Kendle fled from the destroyed city, diving into the water to avoid Kiro's wrath. Organa and Skywalker were still puzzled over Kiro's behavior and stopped him from continuing the chase. Kiro quickly explained the situation to the two, recounting how he had overheard Kendle betraying the Rebels' location to the Empire. The time taken explaining the situation meant that Kendle had disappeared once again, and the group was left without a course of action.

Kiro, Skywalker, and Organa eventually decided to begin a clean-up effort, and, working into the night, the group began to tend to the wounded and recover the dead. Their task was made all the more difficult by the roaming Chiaki who had been drawn to the city by the carnage earlier in the day. Kiro, Skywalker, and Organa were forced to fight the monstrous sea serpents as they tried to feed on the helpless wounded that they had gathered. Skywalker was adamant about taking the fight to the Chiaki and preventing anymore loss of life, but Kiro stopped him from leaving, declaring that stopping the Chiaki would be just as impossible as stopping the tide with his hands.

As the Rebels' recovery operation continued, the group was caught off guard when Kendle suddenly returned. This time, however, Kendle was intent on more than just running, gathering a group of Iskalonians and several stranded seatroopers, and claiming that the Rebels were to blame for the destructive tidal wave. Led by Kendle, the angry mob came to the surface and prepared to kill Kiro and the two Rebels. Badly outnumbered, Kiro's helmet was struck by a blaster bolt, causing the young warrior to suffocate. The blaster shot cut into Kiro's face, giving him a distinguishing scar that ran between his eyes and across the length of his face. To prevent Kiro's death, Skywalker and Organa forced him into the water. However, at the same time, a dangerous Chiaki prepared to strike at the helpless trio. As the Chiaki lunged for the group, the Millennium Falcon arrived to rescue their outnumbered comrades, killing the Chiaki and rescuing Kiro. The body of the dead Chiaki fell directly on Kendle, killing her instantly.

With Primor dead and Pavillion in ruins, Iskalonian society was poised to fall apart. Primor's son, Mone, became the new leader, and vowing to oppose the Empire and any other outsiders, Mone asked Kiro to help him rebuild the Iskalonian way of life. Kiro readily agreed, becoming the official defender of Iskalon under Mone's leadership.

With Mone leading the Iskalonians, the School began to adopt a different way of life. Leaving Pavillion as a monument to the dead, Mone declared that they would no longer deal with outsiders and the School began to live exclusively underwater. This new sentiment of isolation also caused the Iskalonians to adopt a fierce independence, threatening visitors to the world and attacking them if need be. Most visitors were pure scavengers and Kiro developed a seething hatred for them.

Following the Battle of Endor, the Alliance initiated a campaign, dispatching envoys to various planets to invite them to the First Conference of Free Peoples. Kiro's friend, Luke Skywalker, was sent to Iskalon to persuade the School to send a representative. Skywalker was accompanied by Plif, a Hoojib who served as the spokesperson for the planet Arbra. Upon arriving, Skywalker and Plif discovered Rik Duel and his companions, the Rodian Chihdo, and the Zeltron Dani, scavenging through the ruins of Pavillion. Before Skywalker could reprimand the group, he was attacked by a large group of Iskalonians who believed him to be another scavenger. Kiro recognized the Jedi and stopped the attack but was furious with Skywalker for allying himself with scavengers.

Skywalker explained that he was there to request that the Iskalonians send a representative to Endor, but Mone was still adamant about remaining isolated from land breathers. Kiro pleaded with Mone to send a representative with Skywalker, as he had grown bored with his duties of warding off unwanted outsiders. Mone replied by saying that it was not what the School wanted, and he demanded that Skywalker, Duel, Chihdo, and Dani leave immediately. Skywalker respected the Iskalonians wishes and prepared to leave. Kiro was upset with Mone's official refusal, but his wish to see the rest of the galaxy was greater than his desire to stay within the School. Donning an ancient Iskalonian suit worn by Iskalonian travelers, Kiro asked Skywalker to take him with on his journeys.

As Skywalker did not have room in his X-wing for an additional passenger, Kiro boarded Rik Duel's ship, the Moonshadow. As the group left Iskalon behind, the School came to the surface to watch the ships' departure. Mone was saddened by his comrade's choice, knowing how much Iskalon would miss its beloved defender.

Aboard the Moonshadow, Kiro, alongside Rik Duel's gang, followed Skywalker to his next destination. The planet Shawken, a former Imperial stronghold, was experiencing freedom after the Empire abandoned the planet following the Battle of Endor. Still campaigning for representatives to attend the First Conference of Free Peoples, Skywalker organized a meeting with the planetary leader, Santor. Kiro was happy to attend the meeting with Skywalker, but Duel and his gang opted to explore the planet's age-old catacombs instead.

At Santor's home, Kiro and Skywalker dined with the planetary leader, trying to convince him to send someone as an envoy back to the Alliance. As Skywalker told Santor the backgrounds of everyone in their group, he also let slip that Duel and his gang were basically paltry thieves. Kiro was outraged at the group's background, and surmising that the gang would probably try to steal from the catacombs, he left the meeting abruptly to stop Duel and his gang from committing such dishonorable deeds.

Deep within the catacombs, Kiro confronted the group, who, just as predicted, were planning to steal several priceless relics. Kiro's noble attitude irritated the gang, and Chihdo fired his blaster at the self-righteous warrior. While Chihdo's blast was well off-target, Kiro was appalled at Chihdo's betrayal and he slammed the Rodian against one of the catacomb walls. This action was more dangerous than Kiro realized. Chihdo's body triggered a hidden lever in the wall, inadvertently activating the Shawken Device, a long-dormant superweapon.

The activation of the device also trapped the group within the catacombs. Duel began to panic after he could see no way out, but Kiro ensured everyone that Skywalker would rescue them. Dani latched onto Kiro's confidence, and Kiro was ready to comfort the frightened Zeltron. True to Kiro's word, Skywalker was able to release the group from their temporary prison. However, the universe destroyer continued to count down, readying itself to propel the planet's core into hyperspace. To destroy the weapon, someone would have to make their way to the core of the device. Kiro and Skywalker volunteered, and with Dani's well-wishes they followed a tunnel to deep within the planet's crust.

The tunnel ended at a massive underground lake. Kiro took the initiative and tricked Skywalker into giving him his lightsaber. Kiro knew that as a water-breather, he would have the better chance of reaching the device's core in time. After obtaining the lightsaber, Kiro dove into the water, urging Skywalker not to follow him. Swimming even further into the planet, Kiro reached the dark core of the machine, represented by a large glowing head. The Force revealed to Kiro what he needed to do, and, immediately before the device activated, he smashed the saber into the glowing head, creating a large explosion.

Kiro was badly injured by the explosion, but his unconscious body washed up on shore of the underground lake. Skywalker brought Kiro's body back to the group, where they mourned the sacrifice of their savior. However, Plif the Hoojib sensed a small life signal within the Iskalonian. The group brought Kiro to their ship and placed him in a water-filled capsule to rush him back to the medical center on the forest moon of Endor. Several medical droids tended to Kiro, eventually bringing his vitals back up to normal.

While still recovering, Kiro revealed to Skywalker how he had destroyed the superweapon. Now that Kiro knew he had talent in the Force, he asked Skywalker to train him as a Jedi. Kiro was incredibly excited about becoming Skywalker's apprentice, but Skywalker refused to train him, afraid of creating the next Darth Vader, and even Kiro's furious protests were not enough to change Skywalker's mind. Kiro fell into a state of depression after Skywalker's refusal, isolating himself from the Jedi and hanging around Duel and his gang.

Duel was a continual source of controversy, angering many members of the Alliance through his trickery and abrupt attitude. In one incident, he won a large amount of credits from a Rebel named Crin. Crin accused him of cheating, and despite Kiro's testimony on Duel's behalf, a small firefight ensued, resulting in Chihdo receiving a blaster shot to the ribs. Kiro urged the Alliance members to stop their bickering, but only Skywalker's presence was able to stop the tension-fueled fight.

Skywalker's peace-making abilities made Kiro realize that his anger toward Skywalker was unwarranted. In an impassioned speech, Kiro made it clear to Skywalker that he could be patient and peaceful without letting his anger get the better of him. Skywalker was impressed by Kiro's change in attitude and began to reconsider training him. While Skywalker was still concerned with possible failure, Kiro was recruited into a special task force to undergo training by Skywalker. Alongside Duel's gang, Kiro was trained in special fighting techniques.

The training also had another unexpected side-effect. Kiro began to slowly fall in love with the Zeltron Dani. Dani had always been obsessed with Skywalker, but after seeing the courageous spirit within Kiro, she slowly began to fall for the Iskalonian. When the task force left to scout Kinooine, Kiro and Dani remained on Endor to get to know each other. However, when the scouting party went missing, Kiro and Dani followed Skywalker to the planet to determine the cause of their transmission silence.

On Kinooine, Skywalker allowed Kiro and Dani to help scout the area. As the couple walked along the Kinooine shoreline, Kiro came across a mysterious woman. Unprovoked, the woman began to attack them with a lightwhip. Kiro tried to protect Dani from the deadly weapon, but the laser tendrils smashed into Kiro's rebreather suit, causing him to suffocate. Dani was captured by the woman, but Kiro was able to escape from the attack and make his way back to Skywalker. Kiro struggled to get to Skywalker before he expired, finally reaching him, though near death. Skywalker dragged the suffocating water-breather into the ocean, where Kiro begged Skywalker to save Dani.

Skywalker left Kiro to recover in the water while he left to attempt a rescue. However, Lumiya was able to defeat Skywalker in battle, bringing him back to her hideout as a prisoner. Eventually, Kiro recovered from his injuries, and, seeing that Skywalker had not returned, he set out to find his missing comrades. Equipping himself with a new rebreather, Kiro infiltrated Lumiya's underground base, killing several Nagai in the process. Kiro freed Skywalker but was unable to locate Dani's cell. Kiro's determination to save Skywalker finally convinced the Jedi that Kiro was ready to become his apprentice, and Skywalker told the Iskalonian that he would teach him in the ways of the Force.

Kiro helped Skywalker build a shoto, a shortened version of a regular lightsaber, using an extra power pack Kirk brought for the Stinger. Together they confronted Lumiya once more. With dual sabers, Skywalker defeated the Dark Lady, destroying her lightwhip and smashing her cyborg parts. However, the defeat of Lumiya also marked the arrival of the Nagai fleet, and Skywalker and Kiro were forced to bring their captive out of sight. As Skywalker began to bind Lumiya to a rock, Kiro was still concerned for his missing love, and he left the scene to search for her again.

Kiro made his way back to the underground fortress, and, searching the rooms, he finally found Dani curled up in a ball and in a catatonic state. Dani had been brutally tortured by the Nagai Den Siva. Kiro rushed to his love's side, trying to comfort her after her terrible ordeal. Kiro, Dani, and Skywalker ran from the base and back to their ship, but during their retreat, Siva attacked the group. The Nagai claimed that Dani was his, but Kiro refuted his claim, telling Siva that Dani belonged to herself—and him if she so wished.

In a furious struggle, Kiro's rebreather was broken once again, and the two warriors plunged into the water. As Dani and Skywalker watched, Siva stabbed Kiro in the stomach, causing blood to seep to the surface. Dani was distraught over the loss of her lover, but Skywalker dragged the grieving Zeltron away from the scene and back to the ship.

Nearly everyone in the Alliance assumed that Kiro had died in the attack, but Kiro recovered from his injuries and somehow made his way off-world. Kiro was eager to reunite with his love, but before he could return, Kiro caught wind of a violent attack being perpetrated on the School by the Nagai. Kiro knew that he could not go back to Dani while his people were in danger, and he returned to Iskalon. Kiro became something of a legend after his return, slaughtering whole groups of Nagai as they prepared to enslave members of the School.

As Kiro led the School against the Nagai, the Nagai-Tof War continued to rage across Alliance worlds. Skywalker, believing Kiro to have died, decided to return to Iskalon to offer them his condolences over the death of their most beloved warrior. Along with Lando Calrissian, Skywalker arrived on the planet to find several Nagai slaughtered by an Iskalonian sword. The Jedi believed that he was imagining things when he saw Kiro swimming in the water. However, with more and more sightings of the missing warrior, Skywalker realized that Kiro had survived and was overjoyed at the revelation. During the Battle of Iskalon, Kiro once again fought alongside his friends, expelling the Nagai from his world.

Although they had finally brought peace to the world, Kiro realized that the School still needed him as a protector. The wanton slaughter during the battle made Kiro realize that Iskalon needed him, and although he wanted to see his lost love again, he knew that the safety of his homeworld was more important than his personal life. Skywalker and Calrissian promised to keep Kiro's location a secret from Dani and they departed the world happy to know their friend was alive.

As Kiro continued to defend Iskalon, Dani had become almost unreachable in her grief over Kiro's "death." Dani became bitter and pessimistic, resolving to kill all the Nagai race for their part in her unhappiness. However, during the war, the Alliance joined forces with the Nagai, and Dani was forced to set aside her hatred for the Nagai warriors. At the conclusion of the war, Dani left the Alliance completely, letting herself succumb to her unhappiness.

Dani returned to Zeltros, but she hid her presence from all her former friends. Skywalker realized how torn up Dani had become, and although he had promised to keep Kiro's survival a secret from Dani, he could not bear to see her so emotionally disturbed. Skywalker contacted a group of Rebels to tell Dani of Kiro's survival. However, the circumstances surrounding this mission went undocumented.

Kiro's actions and legendary status among his people led to a new movement among the School. As Kiro had been the first Iskalonian to leave the world and explore the galaxy, he was seen as a new "First to Swim," and helped pave the way for others to follow in his footsteps. Several Iskalonians followed his example, leaving Iskalon to interact with the outside galaxy. Among those few Iskalonians were several young Chuhkyvi, who went on to become scouts, nobles, and even Jedi. Following Kiro's example, those Chuhkyvi had an intense hatred for dishonesty and lawlessness, holding to a strict moral code the same as their idolized folk hero.

Kiro possessed an optimistic spirit, consistently seeing the good in those around him. However, when individuals failed to meet his high ethical standards, Kiro would react with intense animosity, resorting to violence to address their transgressions when he thought it necessary. As Kiro served within the Alliance, his experiences gradually exposed him to the harsh realities of the galaxy, leading him to trade his idealism for a more practical perspective. When the Alliance became embroiled in the Nagai-Tof War, Kiro suppressed his personal desires to prioritize the well-being of others. He even set aside his developing romantic relationship with Dani, his love, to remain committed to safeguarding the School on Iskalon.

On the battlefield, Kiro demonstrated surprising speed and stealth. Even when facing skilled Nagai warriors, Kiro effortlessly navigated through them, evading blaster fire and typically defeating his opponents using melee weaponry. During these confrontations, Kiro appeared quite merciless, aiming his attacks to inflict maximum damage, often resulting in the deaths of his adversaries. Kiro utilized both a Stinger and a short sword, choosing these over more advanced technologies. However, Kiro's mobility on land was somewhat restricted by his reliance on a rebreather suit. As an Iskalonian, he needed to wear a helmet containing a water-based atmosphere to breathe normally. Consequently, Kiro had to exercise caution to protect his helmet from damage during combat, as its failure would put him at risk of suffocation. Kendle, Lumiya, and Den Siva all took advantage of this vulnerability, placing Kiro at a disadvantage.

Mary Jo Duffy conceived the character of Kiro for Marvel Star Wars' Star Wars (1977) 75. Initially, Kiro was presented as an antagonist to the heroes, but by the conclusion of the story in Star Wars (1977) 76, it was revealed that Kiro was actually trying to assist them. Following the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, Kiro reappeared in Star Wars (1977) 82, eventually aligning himself with Luke Skywalker to join his adventures. This comic also brought back Dani, who became Kiro's romantic interest until the end of the Marvel series.

Kiro made several more appearances in the Marvel Star Wars comics before his apparent demise at the hands of Den Siva in Star Wars (1977) 97. However, it was later disclosed in Star Wars (1977) 102 that Kiro had survived, but he chose to keep his survival a secret from Dani. The resolution of this secret was never addressed due to the conclusion of the Marvel series in Star Wars (1977) 107.

Kiro remained unmentioned until Joseph Bongiorno and Rich Handley's 2000 article, The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life: The Marvel Series, which identified Kiro's species as Chuhkyvi and explained that his actions inspired some members of his species to become Jedi. Kiro was mentioned again in 2002's Power of the Jedi Sourcebook and The New Essential Guide to Characters, which referenced his involvement in the Marvel comics.

In 2004, Kiro was referenced in the Wizards of the Coast online article, Zeltros: Pleasure Planet. The article revealed that Skywalker had broken his promise not to reveal Kiro's survival due to Dani's emotional distress. As a roleplaying scenario, the outcome of whether players sent to inform Dani about Kiro's survival actually find her is left ambiguous. Kiro was referenced once more in 2007's Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force, but it did not provide further details about his story, only mentioning his role in the duel between Lumiya and Skywalker on Kinooine.