Qu Rahn

On the planet of Socorro, a Force-sensitive male Human named Qu Rahn was born. He was chosen for training as a Jedi. As a youngling, Rahn was a member of the Katarn Clan, mentored by Jedi Master Yoda. Rahn became a loyal and steadfast Jedi, achieving the rank of Jedi Knight by 22 BBY. During the Separatist Crisis, when numerous planets seceded from the Galactic Republic, Rahn headed a special task force comprising agents from the Judicial Department and the Senate Bureau of Intelligence. Their mission was to investigate Gavrilonnis Tejere, a suspected Separatist terrorist who attempted to sabotage the repulsorlift assembly on the Yag'Dhul Ambassadorial Landing Platform. Rahn actively participated in the Clone Wars and survived Order 66 and the Great Jedi Purge initiated by Emperor Palpatine. Like many Jedi who escaped death, Rahn went into hiding.

The Galactic Empire soon listed him as a Jedi fugitive on Imperial HoloVision, alongside Kai Justiss, Ydra Kilwallen, Maw, Ranik Solusar, and Halagad Ventor.

As the Purge continued, Rahn learned that many Jedi, including Anakin Skywalker, Jerec, and Ventor, had fallen to the dark side of the Force and become servants of Palpatine. Skywalker became Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and Jerec joined the Inquisitorius, dedicated to eliminating the Jedi. Rahn also discovered that Yoda had survived Order 66 and was in exile on Dagobah after failing to defeat Palpatine in the skirmish in the senate. Later, Ventor betrayed Rahn and other Jedi to Darth Vader, but Rahn managed to escape.

Troubled by the Jedi turning to the dark side, Rahn risked traveling to Dagobah to seek Yoda's wisdom. Instead of reassurance, Yoda spoke cryptically about a planet with a "valley of Jedi souls," a place of great power. Yoda promoted Rahn to Jedi Master, gifting him a gold lightsaber and teaching him to live on as a Force ghost. Confused but accepting, Rahn vowed to protect the lightsaber.

After meeting Yoda, Rahn was determined to find the Valley of the Jedi and free the trapped spirits to prevent its power from being used for evil. For years, he obsessively sought information about the valley, but leads always proved fruitless. The valley seemed unreachable, like the mythical planet Millinar or the Lost City of the Jedi. The Empire's relentless Inquisitorius made travel dangerous. Jerec learned of Rahn's search and, seeking the valley's power, began his own quest, initiating a race to find the Valley of the Jedi first.

During this time, Rahn heard rumors that Halagad Ventor, responsible for many Jedi deaths, had been redeemed by Rebel Alliance soldiers before his death. Rahn dismissed these rumors, remembering Yoda's warning that the dark side forever dominates those who choose it.

After years of fruitless searching, Rahn was close to giving up, but a vision renewed his resolve. The vision led him to Morgan Katarn, a farmer on Sullust's moon Sulon and leader of the local resistance. Katarn's surname was namesake of the clan he used to belong in his youth. In 1 BBY, Rahn arrived on Sulon and was hosted by Katarn and his droid WeeGee at the Katarn homestead. After dinner, they discussed Katarn's accidental discovery of the Valley months prior and a thousand-year-old prophecy revealed by the native Bouncers: the Force ghosts needed a Jedi to deliver them, and the overwhelming mystical experience tormented Katarn, who was unable to share this secret until Rahn arrived.

Rahn explained that the Valley held unimaginable power as a Force nexus, dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. He intended to send an expedition of experts, with Katarn as their guide, to investigate the ruins. However, Rahn had to leave and refused to know the valley's exact location, having foreseen his capture. He warned Katarn not to inform the Alliance due to spies. Instead, Rahn urged Katarn to pass down the location of the valley (and his own lightsaber which entrusted to Morgan) to his son, Kyle Katarn, a stormtrooper-in-training. Although Morgan worried about his son's Imperial training, Rahn sensed Kyle's Force-sensitivity and different destiny, foreseeing that he would unlock the Valley's secrets.

Katarn followed Rahn's instructions, creating a map to the Valley of the Jedi on his house's ceiling and leaving instructions for Kyle on a holodisc accessible through WeeGee. Months later, Jerec killed Morgan during the Subjugation of Sulon, unaware of Katarn's discovery. Rahn had contacted the Rebel Alliance and Mon Mothma, informing her about Morgan's leadership. During her meeting with the recently defected Kyle Katarn, Mon Mothma mentioned Rahn, calling him a mutual friend and delivering Rahn's greetings.

In 5 ABY, a year after the Rebel Alliance's major victory at the Battle of Endor, Rahn led a Rebel team—Duno Dree, a young pilot; Cee Norley, a weapons expert; and Rolanda Gron, a Klatooinian technologist—to Dorlo on a mission to recruit linguist Nij Por Ral from an excavation site. Arriving in a CR90 corvette, the Rebels used a skimmer to reach Por Ral and convince him to join.

However, they were confronted by stormtroopers led by Dark Jedi Maw, Sariss, and Yun, sent by Jerec to capture Rahn. Rahn and the Rebels tried to reach their corvette. Rahn, fearing detection, ordered them to proceed on foot instead of using the skimmer. Maw sensed their fear, and the Imperials pursued them on skimmers. To buy time, Rahn had Norley stay behind with a rocket launcher. She destroyed a skimmer but was killed. Her sacrifice allowed Rahn, Dree, Gron, and Por Ral to reach the starship. Dree piloted the corvette off-planet, destroying Jerec's remaining skimmer but failing to kill its Dark Jedi crew.

In space, the corvette was caught in the tractor beam of Jerec's battleship, the Vengeance. An assault shuttle carrying Dark Jedi Boc docked with the corvette. The Rebels refused to surrender, so the Imperials filled the corvette with coma gas. Rahn and his group tried to reach space suits but succumbed to the gas. Unconscious, they were transferred to the Vengeance, and the corvette was used for target practice.

Rahn awoke to find Dark Jedi Gorc and Pic staring at him. Pic had taken Yoda's lightsaber. Rahn and his companions were escorted to the Vengeance's bridge, where they faced Jerec and his Dark Jedi. Jerec demanded information about the Valley, but Rahn refused. Jerec ordered his men to kill Rahn's comrades. Gron, Por Ral, and Dree were killed, but Rahn still refused, even after being beaten. Rahn wanted to die and asked Jerec to strike him down. Instead, Jerec used the Force to drain the knowledge about the Valley from Rahn's mind, discovering that Morgan Katarn knew the valley's location and had left the coordinates on his farm.

Rahn was devastated, feeling like he had betrayed the Jedi. He had lost Yoda's lightsaber and betrayed Morgan Katarn and a secret kept for generations. In despair, Rahn used telekinesis to steal Yun's lightsaber and attacked his captors. Rahn fought valiantly, injuring Boc and severing Maw in half, but was brought down by a Force blast from Jerec. As Jerec moved to kill him, Yoda's voice echoed in Rahn's head, promising understanding. Jerec then decapitated the helpless Jedi Master. In his final moments, Rahn saw the spirits of Anakin Skywalker and Halagad Ventor, Jedi who had fallen to the dark side but were redeemed, and realized Yoda's message: no one was beyond redemption.

Even after his physical death, Rahn lived on as a Force ghost, as Yoda had taught him. Jerec, having acquired the information, hired the droid 8t88 to find Morgan's holodisk on Sulon. Unable to decipher it, the droid arranged a meeting with Kyle Katarn on Nar Shaddaa. Katarn refused to cooperate and was attacked by bounty hunters hired by 8t88. Rahn guided Morgan's son, helping him evade death and obtain the disk from 8t88. While Katarn recovered from that encounter on the Mercy, Rahn appeared in a dream, telling him about the Valley of the Jedi and Jerec's plans. He informed him that his fate was tied to his father and the Valley, and that he was already training him to be a Jedi, and that the disk would help him to master them, and reach the Valley.

Guided by Rahn, Katarn returned to his home on Sulon, found Rahn's lightsaber, and decoded the disc, learning about the stone map on the ceiling. He discovered that the map had been taken to Jerec's palace in Barons Hed, where it was to be deciphered by 8t88. As Katarn reached the city, he was attacked by a female bounty hunter with a remote. Rahn contacted Katarn, helping him use the lightsaber. With Rahn's guidance, Katarn defeated the woman and her remote. Rahn contacted Katarn several more times, providing information on Jerec's Dark Jedi. Despite Katarn's efforts, Jerec discovered that the valley was on Ruusan. His forces began excavation works at the valley.

Rahn's spirit followed Katarn to Ruusan, warning him not to give in to hate as he landed in the Moldy Crow.

Sensing good in Yun, Rahn contacted him on Ruusan. Yun, tasked with eliminating the Jedi and Sith spirits, failed to defeat them by hurling the Force. Rahn advised him to sense their pain. Yun followed Rahn's advice and made the spirits depart. Rahn explained that Yun would play an important part in the events that would follow. The Epicanthix asked what part, and Rahn answered that it was entirely up to him. The encounter with Rahn made such a deep impression on Yun that several days later, when a groundquake caused a rock to fall on an Imperial called Jaru, he used the light side of the Force to help him. After that, Rahn appeared to Yun again, telling him that the dark side was not the only source of power.

Meanwhile Katarn managed to approach Jerec, and he was closer than ever; Katarn was riding a turbolift of his tower, frightened with the idea of direct confrontation with him alone. Then Rahn spoke again, ensuring that he, and the Force, was with Katarn, and not displaying extreme self-confidence was only a sign of his strength. Rahn advised Kyle to use his name to his advantage when he meets the "half-man" who was about to meet soon; referring to Maw who was expecting Katarn on a nearby platform. Indeed, Maw was enraged when Katarn mentioned Rahn's name, the man who cut Maw in half.

Katarn killed Maw in anger and confronted Jerec near the Dark Jedi's cargo ship, the Sulon Star. There, Jerec offered Katarn the chance to join his cadre. Although he had been driven close to the dark side by Maw's taunts, Katarn was able to hold off his ambition and refuse. In response, Jerec pushed him into the Sulon Star and sent the ship crashing towards the surface. Rahn helped Katarn evade death by telling him that Kyle's ship, the Moldy Crow, had been kept in the hangar bay of the Sulon Star. Katarn managed to escape the doomed Sulon Star, but could not handle the controls of his own ship and crashed the Moldy Crow near the valley and lay unconscoius in pain. As his mind was connected to the Force, Rahn's vision appeared to him again, and wanted to show him how the present was connected to the past: in the vision Kyle became the alter-ego of the Jedi Tal and the Dark Jedi LaTor, witnessing their final moves before Kaan's thought bomb.

He was found, unconscious, by Boc, Sariss, and Yun. Before leaving to assist Jerec, Boc crushed the lightsaber that had once belonged to Rahn with a rock. Sariss then moved in for the kill, but Yun, driven close to the light side by Rahn, blocked her blow. Sariss deflected her lightsaber into Yun himself. Before dying, Yun told her that Katarn, as a Jedi, deserved a battle. This way, he was redeemed and returned to the light side.

Katarn picked up Yun's lightsaber and killed Sariss. He then proceeded further and confronted Boc and his double lightsabers; it was Rahn who reminded Kyle that his mind is also a weapon, although this led him to use the dark side Darkshear against Boc.

It was the second time Katarn used the dark side, and right then he faced Jerec, who was in possession of the valley's power. During this confrontation Katarn nearly fell to the dark side due to his hatred and thirst for revenge, and wanted to ignore Rahn who tried to help, even reminding to him the lesson of compassion learned by Yun, and that his hatred only made Jerec stronger; in the end he managed to hold off, and instead of attacking Jerec, destroying himself, he used a shield of light to protect both of them from the dark side. This led to Jerec's death, after which the spirits that had been trapped inside the valley were finally freed. To honor Rahn's memory and that of his father, Katarn carved their images in the two statues near the entrance to the valley. After the events on Ruusan, Qu Rahn was not seen or heard contacting Katarn.

A man with dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes, Rahn was a figure of complexity. Despite his upbringing as a staunchly loyal Jedi, he grappled with inner demons of vengeance and animosity. The betrayals of Jedi like Jerec, Anakin Skywalker, and Halagad Ventor deeply disturbed him; he believed their choices had irrevocably condemned them. Rahn harbored a profound hatred for those who had turned against the Jedi Order, even those he barely knew. At times, he yearned for a confrontation with Jerec, seeking to deliver his own brand of justice upon the Inquisitor. However, when Jerec extracted information about Morgan Katarn from Rahn's mind, the Jedi Master felt he had betrayed his own Order. Consumed by despair, he lashed out at Jerec's Dark Jedi in a fit of rage. Yet, in his final moments, Rahn experienced a revelation, witnessing the redeemed spirits of Ventor and Skywalker. He finally grasped Yoda's lesson: that redemption was possible for all. This newfound understanding allowed Rahn to appear to Yun, guiding the young darksider towards the light.

After his encounter with Yoda on Dagobah, Rahn became consumed by the quest to locate the Valley of the Jedi. This all-encompassing pursuit spanned years, ultimately leading to his death at the hands of Jerec. However, it also facilitated his meeting with Morgan Katarn, with whom he formed a close friendship during his brief stay at Katarn's farm. Rahn also maintained a positive relationship with Mon Mothma, a prominent leader of the Rebel Alliance.

Outside of his search for the valley, Rahn dedicated significant time to contemplation, eventually concluding that certain things were more dire than death itself. He kept a journal, documenting his reflections on the Force, Jerec, and Jerec's Dark Jedi. Upon Rahn's passing, Kyle Katarn inherited this journal, frequently drawing upon its insights to deepen his understanding of the Force. Rahn was known for his kindness and wisdom, qualities readily apparent to those around him. He was also a man of unwavering resolve, demonstrated by his willingness to abandon Cee Norley, knowing she would face certain death. Even after enduring torture and witnessing the execution of his comrades, Rahn refused to divulge information to Jerec. When Duno Dree's turn came, Rahn displayed his leadership by encouraging the terrified young man to embrace death in order to safeguard the valley's secret.

Rahn was fond of saying, "Opportunity dwells within disaster," a sentiment that resonated with Morgan Katarn during the Subjugation of Sulon.

As a fully trained Jedi, recognized as a Jedi Master by Yoda himself, Rahn possessed formidable skills in both the Force and lightsaber combat. He demonstrated his prowess by defeating five of Jerec's minions single-handedly and inflicting a severe wound on another. However, Rahn generally preferred to focus his efforts on his Force abilities. He exhibited proficiency in telekinesis, as evidenced by his ability to snatch Yun's lightsaber from his belt. Furthermore, Rahn possessed knowledge of Force speed and was among the select few Jedi capable of manifesting as a Force ghost, a skill imparted to him by Yoda. Drawing upon the Light Side of the Force, Rahn could "envelop" himself in a cloak of white Force in the presence of Jerec and the Dark Jedi, causing the surrounding darkness to recede.

Rahn's Force sense was exceptionally refined, granting him glimpses into the future. It was this ability that led him to Morgan Katarn, and through the same visions, Rahn foresaw his own capture. Although he never personally met Kyle Katarn, Rahn sensed the young man's strong connection to the Force and recognized that his path diverged from his initial choices. He also had a premonition that Kyle would play a crucial role in locating the Valley. Upon encountering Jerec on the bridge of the Vengeance, Rahn sensed the concentrated evil emanating from the Dark Jedi's thoughts and actions, causing the Force to churn. As a Force ghost, Rahn predicted Yun's significant role in the events on Ruusan.

Rahn was fluent in two languages, his native Socorran and Basic, and possessed skills in computer operation, basic weaponry, and martial arts. He also had some knowledge of how to treat injuries.

Qu Rahn made his debut in the 1997 LucasArts video game Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, where Bennet Guillory brought him to life. He appeared twice in the game, first in the opening cutscene where Jerec killed him, and later as a ghost in Katarn's dream. His voice served as a guide for the main character throughout the game. Rahn subsequently appeared in the 1998 novella adaptations of the game, Dark Forces: Rebel Agent and Dark Forces: Jedi Knight, as well as in the audio drama adaptations of the two novellas. Michael Tezla voiced Rahn in the audio dramas. Rahn was also mentioned in the first installment of the Dark Forces trilogy, Soldier for the Empire, and its audio drama adaptation. His backstory was further developed in The Dark Forces Saga, a series of game scenarios released by Wizards of the Coast on their web site.

Rahn was included among the surviving Jedi in the Special Edition of HoloNet News, published in the 84th issue of the Star Wars Insider magazine. Initially intended to feature Rahn's image, the magazine instead used it to create another Jedi, Koffi Arana. In an interview featured in the Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II: The Official Strategy Guide, the game's lead writer, Justin Chin, presented a somewhat different account of Rahn's backstory, which contradicts his later portrayals. According to Chin, Rahn was a wanderer and "sort of" an orphan in his youth, rather than the loyal and steadfast student depicted in later sources. Chin also stated that Rahn encountered Jerec during his search for the Valley, and Jerec attempted to recruit him. Although Rahn was somewhat ambivalent between the light and dark sides, he ultimately refused the offer. As this information was only published in the interview, this article prioritizes more recent sources.

In Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, he is exclusively referred to as Rahn. The first name Qu only appears in the game's manual. The multiplayer mode of Dark Forces II features a playable character model called "Dark Rahn," who wears pants and a jacket and has white tattoos covering his face. This same model is also available in Jedi Knight's expansion pack, Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith. Rahn's name is misspelled as "Qu Rhan" in HoloNet News. Rahn was also referenced in the online preview of the Jedi Academy set for Star Wars Miniatures. The preview contains a continuity error, stating that Rahn's spirit informed Kyle Katarn of his father's involvement with the Rebel Alliance. However, Katarn's discovery of Morgan's Rebel sympathies is depicted in Soldier for the Empire, which takes place years before Rahn's encounter with Kyle.

In the non-canonical ending of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, where Kyle Katarn embraces the dark side, Rahn abandons him during the crash of the Sulon Star. Despite this, Katarn survives and becomes the new Emperor after defeating Jerec and absorbing the power of the Valley. However, it is possible for Rahn to deliver the aforementioned line to Katarn much earlier in the game. This can be triggered at the beginning of level four if Katarn chooses to destroy his family droid WeeGee, although Rahn continues to guide Katarn as normal, and the player can still achieve the light side ending afterward.

The various versions of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, the Dark Forces novellas, their audio dramatizations, and The Dark Forces Saga scenarios differ in several ways and sometimes present conflicting information. Aside from minor dialogue variations, the most significant difference lies in the depiction of Rahn's death scene in the audio dramatization. Unlike the game and the novel, Rahn does not attack the Dark Jedi; instead, he pleads with Morgan Katarn for forgiveness. Additionally, there is some inconsistency regarding Rahn's role in Jerec's defeat. Both the game and the Jedi Knight novel depict Katarn remaining unmoved by Jerec's taunts. However, the audio drama portrays Katarn succumbing to anger and nearly turning to the dark side, only managing to resist with Rahn's assistance. The Dark Forces Saga also suggests that Rahn foresaw his capture by Jerec, while Rebel Agent makes no mention of such a vision. Instead, Rahn intends to assemble a team to study the valley and liberate the spirits on his own.