Ilena Xan, a Jedi Master, served the Galactic Republic until its fall. She maintained a close friendship with Master Jai Maruk and dedicated her time at the Jedi Temple to instructing others in hand-to-hand combat, specializing in grappling techniques. Her students knew her as Iron Hand, a moniker earned due to her rigorous methods and physical strength. Scout was her most promising student during the Clone Wars.
Being Force-sensitive, Ilena Xan underwent training in the Force by the Jedi Order, eventually achieving the rank of Jedi Master by the time of the Separatist Crisis. As a contemporary of Master Jai Maruk, Xan was given the role of instructor in unarmed combat, a subject she taught at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
During her time teaching at the Temple, Master Xan became known as "Iron Hand," a reference to her strict and demanding approach to teaching hand-to-hand combat. When the Clone Wars broke out between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Master Xan stayed at the Temple instead of joining the war effort, choosing to continue training new students to ensure a consistent supply of Jedi Knights. She also oversaw the academy's yearly Apprentice tournaments, making sure the students behaved properly and followed the rules during the competition.
Ilena Xan's first appearance was in Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, a novel authored by Sean Stewart that was released in 2004.