Galen Walton Erso

On the underdeveloped agricultural planet of Grange, Galen Walton Erso was born in 56 BBY to a human mother and father as their only child. Growing up in humble surroundings, Galen exhibited exceptional intelligence from a young age. Recognizing her son's brilliance, his mother provided him with resources to stimulate his mind whenever credits allowed, starting with a music synthesizer, chemistry set, and later, any datacrons she could find. Upon starting primary school, Galen quickly surpassed his classmates and became bored. Eager for Galen to learn about the wider galaxy, his mother subscribed him to a HoloNet service. By secondary school, Galen's teachers described him as a "prodigy," excelling in mathematics and science. He also learned numerous languages and magic tricks out of curiosity, and constructed his own basic HoloNet transceiver.

During his schooling, Galen was awarded the Grange subadult science and engineering fair scholarship. He frequently developed academic formulas and theories that exceeded his own understanding and puzzled his instructors, one of which was eventually submitted offworld by a mentor. This submission brought Galen to the attention of the Republic Futures Program, an initiative designed to gather the most promising students from across the stars to become the Republic's future leaders, scientists, and citizens.

Prompted by his mother, Galen joined the Futures Program on Brentaal in 40 BBY. While enrolled, he received news of his mother's death from a brief illness, and a few years later, his father's death in a vehicular accident. Following these losses, he formed a close friendship with architecture student Orson Krennic in 36 BBY. Upon graduation, Galen earned top honors in the Brentaal Futures Program materials competition. Subsequently, Galen pursued advanced studies, research internships, and teaching positions. During this time, Krennic helped Galen secure a visiting professorship at the Institute of Applied Science on Coruscant, which included a generous stipend and a rent-free apartment. By the age of twenty-five, Galen had published extensively and established a reputation in the fields of crystallography and energy enhancement.

Galen embarked on research missions throughout the galaxy, searching for rare crystals to provide power. By the time Krennic helped him obtain the professorship at the Institute of Applied Science, his focus had shifted to kyber crystal research. In 26 BBY, during an expedition on Espinar in search of rare crystals, including kyber crystals, Galen encountered his future wife, Lyra. By the end of the six month expedition, they had become romantically involved. A year later, in 25 BBY, Galen married Lyra on Coruscant. Later, they were trapped in a crystal cave on Chandrila, where Lyra's knowledge of the wilderness ensured their survival.

While many of Galen's colleagues pursued government research, Galen declined military research due to his pacifist beliefs and instead accepted a contract with Zerpen Industries to continue his studies into crystal synthesis and energy enrichment. Having been raised by hardworking parents and witnessing the wealth disparity in the galaxy, Galen sought to examine the fundamental structures of existence to potentially unlock unlimited energy and bridge the gap between the rich and poor. Galen hoped to discover a way to provide clean, safe, and virtually limitless power to developing worlds by uncovering the secrets of the kyber crystal. Months before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Galen and Lyra relocated to the Outer Rim world of Vallt, where Zerpen Industries had negotiated a deal with Vallt's King Chai, who permitted the construction of a research facility to cultivate synthetic crystals in the hopes of creating a new source of inexpensive power.

Shortly after the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY and before departing for Vallt, Lyra was pregnant with their future daughter, Jyn. Soon after, Vallt's Republic-aligned King Chai was overthrown in a coup by forces loyal to Marshal Phara, who received military support from the Separatist Alliance. Galen and Lyra were hunted down by the Iron Gauntlet Legion, and Galen was imprisoned in a Vallt security complex after their failed escape attempt from the Valltii riders. Lyra was kept in more comfortable quarters in the northern wing of Vallt's Keep. While imprisoned, Galen was offered the opportunity to serve the Separatists in exchange for their freedom. Galen refused but was willing to accept their offer if his wife agreed. In the same year, Jyn was born on Vallt, and Galen was released from his cell to see his child with Lyra, who both agreed on the name Jyn. Galen grew close to his captors, who considered the scientist one of their own. Members of Vallt's government like Chiefian Gruppe even wanted to keep Galen on Vallt instead of handing him over to the Separatists.

In 21 BBY, Galen Erso was rescued in a prisoner exchange by Krennic, his longtime friend and compatriot. Unbeknownst to Galen, his earlier signal to Zerpen Industries regarding his capture and the seizure of the facility was indeed heard, but ignored at Krennic's request, who was a part of the Republic Special Weapons Group and responsible for the development of the Death Star. Krennic sought to manipulate Galen and place him in his debt to coerce him into working on the Death Star's superlaser, which relied on kyber crystals, a topic in which Galen was the foremost galactic expert. Ultimately, through Galen's work, Krennic hoped to curry favor with superiors and attain the rank of rear admiral. Upon his and his families' rescue, Krennic ordered the bombing of Vallt to allow pro-Republic forces to reclaim power, despite both Galen and Lyra's pleas to save the lives of those they had lived with for the past year. Instead of returning to Coruscant, Krennic jumped into orbit above Grange, where a space battle had erupted over Galen's home planet. Krennic hoped to show Galen the chaos the galaxy had descended into since the start of the Clone Wars and manipulate Galen to ultimately weaponize his research to promote "peace and security" throughout the galaxy.

Back on Coruscant, the Ersos soon realized the sweeping changes brought about by the war. Many of their colleagues, drafted into wartime research, welcomed Galen back from imprisonment. However, Galen's refusal to weaponize his genius led to him being ostracized by his colleagues, many of whom refused to meet with him. Only Prof. Reeva Demesne agreed to see Galen. For a few months, Galen was unemployed but continued living in his apartment at the Institute of Applied Science in Coruscant's Central District. During a reunion of Futures Program students at 500 Republica, Galen was publicly accused of being a Separatist spy and collaborator by drunk patron Dagio Belcoze. Defending himself from punches thrown by Belcoze, Krennic intervened to help defend Galen in an effort to further earn his trust.

During his period of unemployment, Galen became increasingly restless. He was questioned several times by Republic Intelligence and COMPOR regarding his imprisonment on Vallt and was prohibited from traveling offworld Coruscant. Ostensibly, this was for security reasons and because Zerpen was profiteering from both sides in the conflict. Galen also became a casual acquaintance with Adjutant General Wilhuff Tarkin, who was willing to drop the case leveled against him by the Justice Department. Around this time, Galen offered Krennic an opportunity to quit his job at the Corps of Engineers—Krennic's public title—and join him in designing a new energy facility. Krennic politely declined Galen's offer. Eventually, Krennic offered Galen a job working for Helical HyperCom, a company that was attempting to produce crystal arrays to better serve remote areas where communications arrays had fallen prey during the war. While not as prestigious or befitting his intelligence, Galen accepted the offer, as it would allow him something to do and allow them to flee Coruscant for a while.

While employed at HH, Galen quickly annoyed his superior, Roman Herbane, who disliked Galen's inquisitiveness and suggestions for improving workplace efficiency, even if it cost him credits. This was, in reality, a part of Krennic's plan, who knew that HH would be a terrible posting for Galen. During his time there, Krennic hoped that Galen would become more and more miserable, making him more likely to suggestions offered by himself. By 19 BBY, HH's facility on Lokori was subject to occasional Separatist raids on the civilian population. On the last day of the Clone Wars, Separatist forces broke through the Republic blockade and landed forces on the planet's surface. A fierce battle erupted, and in the chaos Galen sought to protect his family from harm. Backed into a corner by B1-series battle droids, Galen was almost killed before the droids suddenly shut down. While Galen believed this was because of the destruction of a Droid Control Ship, in reality, the Clone Wars had ended.

Traumatized by his near-death experience at the hands of the Separatists and increasingly concerned for his family's safety, Galen quickly succumbed to Krennic's influence, who now served under the First Galactic Empire. Lyra was wary of Krennic and continually served as Galen's moral compass. Before returning to Coruscant from Lokori, Galen briefly stopped on Kanzi at Krennic's behest, who offered him a position in Project Celestial Power in 19 BBY. Galen was led to believe that Celestial Power represented the Emperor's dream of rebuilding the galaxy devastated during the Clone Wars by providing nearly unlimited energy. In addition to supposedly reducing poverty and aiding developing worlds, Galen was led to believe it would also deter growing Separatist holdouts from gaining new members dissatisfied at the pace of Imperial reconstructive efforts.

Galen soon became engrossed in kyber research in Celestial Power's central facility on Coruscant. Lyra worried over Galen's increasing remoteness and dedication to his work. Realizing that Lyra's morality was a danger to his plans, Krennic offered her a job scouting a possible network of kyber crystal caves on Alpinn. By Lyra's return at the end of the six month period, Galen was a different man. Lyra worried that she had lost her husband in his mad pursuit of knowledge, being providing nearly unlimited resources to aid in his research, and seemingly echoing propaganda rhetoric spoken by Krennic. Furthermore, Galen had become distanced to his daughter, Jyn, and rarely spoke with Lyra except for when she transcribed his notes. Galen consciously regretted this, knowing that he was no longer allowed to due to his swearing of multiple security oaths. However, he firmly believed that what he was doing was for the ultimate good of the galaxy.

Eventually, Galen became suspicious of Krennic's inability to provide him with examples of the implementation of his research. In 17 BBY, following his wife, Lyra's telling of Galen that his knowledge was, in fact, being weaponized by Krennic, Galen sought to escape his Imperial service. Angered at being lied to by Krennic, Galen and Lyra escaped in the chaos of Coruscant's All-Species Week, a holiday event that saw the streets and skylanes of Coruscant jammed with party-goers. In the chaos, Galen and his family escaped with the aid of known rebel Saw Gerrera, whom Lyra had heard of through Has Obitt, the pilot who initially rescued them from Vallt along with Krennic, and had become good friends with the Ersos. Saw helped purchase 65 hectares of land on Lah'mu, a remote world unspoiled by the Empire for the Erso's to hide on. Knowing that deleting his research would only quicken Krennic's soon-to-be mad search for himself, Galen left his notes unspoiled, instead hoping that his insanely complicated notes would hamper Celestial Power's scientists' ability to understand the progress he was making.

For several years, Galen lived peacefully on Lah'mu, residing on its less populated eastern side in a modest homestead. There, Galen and his droids used robust Pretormin Environmental Corporation GX-8 condenser units to extract water vapor from the air, becoming simple farmers uninterested in off-world trade. Galen was content to spend the rest of his days on Lah'mu, surrounded by the loving company of his wife and daughter.

However, in 13 BBY, Krennic traveled to Lah'mu aboard his personal Delta-class T-3c shuttle with a complement of death troopers. Galen confronted Krennic, who offered him reentry into the Empire's service. Galen attempted to deceive Krennic, claiming that his memory was "not as it used to be." Despite this, Krennic saw through Galen's lie. Simultaneously, Galen's wife, Lyra, drew a blaster on Krennic, demanding that he leave them and their daughter alone. After refusing to lower her blaster, Krennic ordered his death troopers to kill Lyra, which they did in front of Galen's eyes, while Krennic sustained a minor glancing wound to the shoulder from Lyra's blaster.

Galen was then forced to work for the Tarkin Initiative, an Imperial think tank. There, as the head of the kyber crystal research team, he was responsible for fusing crystal shards into larger forms and creating and redirecting a controlled chain reaction. Galen, realizing that Krennic already possessed the ability to complete the station without him, decided to play the part of a defeated and obedient man. Knowing that his resignation would not prevent the station's completion, Galen delayed the research as long as he could and made himself indispensable. Unbeknownst to the Empire and to Krennic, who genuinely believed he was helping Galen achieve his potential, Galen never became truly loyal and instead deliberately engineered a fatal weakness at the center of the space station in the form of a reactor module. Any pressurized explosion to the component would trigger a chain reaction that would completely destroy the station. Hoping that his daughter was still alive and safe from Krennic, Galen codenamed the Death Star's structural readouts "Stardust," the name he called Jyn as a child.

Stationed on Eadu, Galen eventually convinced Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook of the true horrors of the Death Star. Overcome with a crisis of conscience, Galen entrusted Bodhi with a message to be delivered to the Rebellion, and hopefully his daughter, informing them of the station's vulnerability.

By 1 BBY, rumors began to circulate throughout the galaxy about a new Imperial superweapon. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance received word that Gerrera possessed a message from Galen pertaining to the superweapon. Recruiting Galen's estranged daughter, the Rebellion tasked Jyn with traveling to the Force-sacred world of Jedha to secure a meeting with Gerrera, a former friend of hers, and retrieve the message.

After Jyn's journey to Imperial Jedha and subsequent viewing of her father's message, she believed the Rebellion's goal was to rescue him from Imperial captivity. However, the reality was that Cassian Andor, an Intelligence officer, had explicit orders from General Davits Draven to assassinate Galen at the earliest opportunity. Draven harbored fears regarding the potential weapons Galen might create for the Empire. During a clandestine mission to Eadu with the intent to assassinate Galen, Andor hesitated and ultimately couldn't bring himself to execute the order. This occurred after witnessing Galen's defense of his fellow workers from execution, prompted by Krennic's discovery of a transmitted message from the facility. Galen stepped forward, admitting to sending the coded transmission and pleading for his colleagues' lives, after Krennic threatened to kill all researchers unless the traitor revealed themselves. Krennic ignored Galen's pleas and ordered the execution of researchers Rasett Milio, Vlex Onopin, Ames Uravan, Sirro Argonne, and [Feyn Vann]. Enraged by Galen's perceived betrayal, Krennic struck him. Before anything else could happen, a Rebel Alliance strike force attacked Eadu due to Andor's communications blackout, leading Draven to fear the worst. A proton bomb launched from a BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bomber impacted the platform where Galen and Krennic stood, throwing them to the ground. Jyn, having observed the events from afar, rushed to her dying father, revealing her presence to him in his final moments. She told him she had seen the message, to which Galen responded that it must be destroyed. After saying he had so much to tell her, Galen succumbed to his injuries in Jyn's arms. Overcome with grief, Jyn was reluctant to leave her father's side. She later confronted Andor regarding his mission to assassinate Galen on Eadu, but Andor defended his actions by saying he had orders and disobeyed them.

Despite the tragic circumstances, Galen's sacrifice proved valuable. The Rebel Alliance eventually uncovered his sabotage through the Death Star plans, obtained at great cost. Armed with this vital information, the Rebels successfully exploited the weakness, leading to the destruction of the Death Star and a significant victory against the Empire.

Galen Walton Erso possessed great intelligence, humility, and kindness. Known for his complex writings that were nearly impossible for others to decipher, Galen was also a well-known perfectionist. During his childhood, Galen struggled to connect with his peers, often preferring solitude. He was also known to be good at talking, but his shyness was the reason for this. Galen had a greater fear of being the center of attention than he did of failing. He and Orson Krennic developed an immediate connection upon meeting in the Republic Futures Program, despite their contrasting personalities. Galen was reserved and composed, while Krennic was charismatic and known for his nocturnal activities. Nevertheless, they shared a strong bond, with Galen describing Krennic as "bright and talented as anyone in the Futures Program." Other classmates called him "a master of the invisible connection between things." Galen later stated that "mathematics is our efforts to crystallize the unglimpsed connections between things." Krennic even stood up for Galen against bullies during their time on Brentaal.

As Galen reached adolescence, he experienced confusion and bewilderment due to the changes in his body. After meeting Lyra on Espinar, she initiated their relationship, which quickly blossomed into a deep love and a stable, healthy connection. Through this relationship, Galen realized he was not the emotionless, mathematical person he believed himself to be, but that he also had a heart. Lyra admired Galen's extensive knowledge, his ability to focus intently, and his tendency to become lost in thought, seemingly detaching from the world before returning with unexpected insights. However, Galen felt no pressure to showcase his talents or pursue a career as an academic or scientist. Unlike others, Galen would have been happy as a merchant, content to explore life and the material world in his own way, allowing his mind to wander freely. Furthermore, Galen initially had no desire to join the Futures Program, believing he already held the entire galaxy within his thoughts.

Galen was not one to hold grudges, as demonstrated by his response to Roman Herbane during his employment at Helical HyperCom. Despite frequent disagreements, Galen felt empathy for the man, recognizing that he was simply a victim of his own stubbornness, limited foresight, and intelligence. Deeply devoted to his family, Galen was willing to work for the Separatists while imprisoned on Vallt if his wife desired it, prioritizing her safety and well-being above his own. Galen often discussed his research with his wife, simplifying it until she could grasp his excitement.

With the rise of the Galactic Empire, Galen retreated into his work, becoming distant from Lyra and his daughter. Initially, Galen accepted the Emperor's narrative of a "Jedi Rebellion" and believed his research into kyber crystals was not disrespectful to the Jedi, but a way to reveal secrets the galaxy had kept hidden for centuries. A staunch pacifist, Galen refused to allow his research to be weaponized, whether for the Republic or the Empire. Deceived into joining Project Celestial Power, he believed the Emperor aimed to create a clean, renewable energy source for developing worlds. However, Galen eventually grew suspicious of Krennic's motives and heeded Lyra's warnings about him. Angered that his research had been weaponized, Galen sought refuge on Lah'mu, where he attempted to live a simple life. When Orson Krennic threatened his family once more, Galen reluctantly joined the Tarkin Initiative to protect Jyn. By engineering a weakness into the Death Star, Galen hoped his sacrifice would enable the Rebel Alliance to destroy the weapon he had unwillingly dedicated half his life to building.

During his time on Valt, he used Assis, a TDK-160 research-assistant. As the leader of a project, Erso possessed at least two uniforms during his service to the Empire. One such uniform was an Imperial development project uniform that included two code cylinders and a research division rank plaque. Another uniform was the project lead uniform with two code cylinders and a Tarkin Initiative symbol on the right arm.

Galen Walton Erso, played by Mads Mikkelsen, is a character conceived and developed for the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Writer Gary Whitta created the character, naming him in honor of Star Wars creator George Lucas. Mikkelsen's casting was announced on August 15, 2015. Mikkelsen disclosed on Sky News that he would be portraying Jyn Erso's father. Mikkelsen later revealed that he would be playing her father when Jyn is a child, and that the film would "jump forward and backward in time." His name was revealed by Entertainment Weekly on June 22, 2016. The first image of the character was revealed at Star Wars Celebration Europe on July 15, 2016.

Galen Walton Erso was a central figure in the 2016 tie-in novel Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel. Author James Luceno portrayed him as a brilliant researcher who struggled to communicate effectively, relying on his wife, Lyra, to ground him in the world. Luceno described Galen as a "conscientious objector," who refused any research directly linked to politics or warfare. In an interview, Mikkelsen noted that his character shared similarities with real-world 20th-century physicists J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, and Niels Bohr.