Kelad'den, often called Kel, was a male Lethan Twi'lek inhabiting the Outer Rim planet of Serenno circa 990 BBY. In the era of the Galactic Republic's post-New Sith Wars reconstruction, Kelad'den served as an elite warrior within the Anti-Republic Liberation Front, a radical separatist group with minimal influence. Under the manipulation of Darth Zannah, he was goaded into action, leading his resistance cell in an attempt to abduct Tarsus Valorum, the Republic's former Supreme Chancellor, during a clandestine, unannounced visit.
During the attempted abduction of the ex-Chancellor at a landing platform, Kelad'den and his team encountered Johun Othone, a Jedi Knight functioning as Valorum's bodyguard. In the resulting conflict, the Twi'lek became the last surviving member of his team to confront the Jedi. Kelad'den met his death when his adversary pulled them both over the platform's edge. While the Twi'lek perished from the fall, Othone was shielded by the Force and lived.
Kelad'den was a male Lethan Twi'lek, a member of his species' noble warrior class. From his earliest years, he was instilled with a sense of privilege, fostering traits of superiority, pride, and an overblown sense of self-importance bordering on arrogance. His upbringing included rigorous training to mold him into a superior combatant.
Kelad'den resided on Serenno, an Outer Rim world known for cultivating anti-Republic sentiments among its populace. Beginning around 1000 BBY, in the aftermath of the New Sith Wars, numerous separatist factions emerged, each rejecting the Republic's reestablished inter-planetary governance. By 990 BBY, Kelad'den had joined the ranks of the Anti-Republic Liberation Front, a reasonably well-funded resistance organization under the command of a mysterious figure known only as Hetton.
The Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Bane, who was the last surviving one of that time, discovered the Anti-Republic Liberation Front. Bane resolved to leverage the rebellious group to attract the attention of both the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Council, thereby diverting resources from the hunt for him and the Sith artifacts he was scouring the galaxy for. He dispatched his apprentice, Darth Zannah, to infiltrate the movement.
Adopting the guise of "Rainah," Zannah seduced Kelad'den to secure his confidence. Over the course of several months, their relationship deepened, and she exploited Kelad'den's revolutionary ideals to challenge him to pursue more ambitious goals than simply abducting local politicians, as he had initially planned. Using intelligence gleaned from her master's contacts, Zannah revealed to Kelad'den the impending secret arrival of Tarsus Valorum, the Republic's former Supreme Chancellor, to meet with the six Great Houses of Serenno. These Great Houses constituted the planet's ruling body, each harboring its own distinct agendas and attitudes toward the Republic, with some even secretly funding the Anti-Republic movements. Valorum's visit aimed to maintain the Republic's influence with them. In exchange for this information, Kelad'den welcomed Zannah into his faction of the Anti-Republic Liberation Front. He formulated a strategy to kidnap Valorum, which he then presented to his followers. Incorporating ideas and phrases subtly suggested by Zannah, he inspired his revolutionaries to endorse the attack.
To preserve the secrecy of Valorum's visit, arrangements were made for him to land at the private spaceport belonging to Count Nalju, a pro-Republic figure and the leader of one of Serenno's six Great Houses. Accompanied by three Human accomplices, Kelad'den lay in wait on a landing platform for Valorum's arrival, while Paak, a fourth Human, and Cyndra, a Chiss female, awaited in an escape speeder. Unbeknownst to them, the former Chancellor was protected by his friend Johun Othone, a Jedi Knight. As Valorum and Othone disembarked from their ship, the New Dawn, Cyndra detonated a remote charge, destroying the vessel. The three Humans then launched an assault on the Jedi while Kelad'den observed.
Othone killed two of the attackers, causing the third to flee. As the retreating attacker ran past Kelad'den, the Twi'lek struck his ally in the throat with a sickle-shaped blade. Witnessing him slay their accomplice, Paak and Cyndra fled, leaving Kelad'den to face the Jedi alone. Brandishing a sickle blade in each hand, Kelad'den engaged Othone. The Jedi struggled to penetrate the Twi'lek's defenses, and Kelad'den began to inflict injuries, slashing several muscles. Realizing he was outmatched, Othone seized Kelad'den and pulled both himself and his attacker over the platform's edge. While the Jedi was shielded by the Force during the fall, the Twi'lek's neck snapped upon impact with the water below, resulting in his death.
As a Lethan Twi'lek, Kelad'den possessed red skin. He was tall, muscular, and considered physically attractive. However, he was acutely aware of his physical attributes, and this awareness, coupled with his noble lineage, fostered an excessively inflated ego. It was through this arrogance, as well as the influence of the dark side, that Darth Zannah manipulated Kelad'den through challenges and flattery. He displayed considerable disdain for those of "lower class," considering them unworthy of his attention. Kelad'den's self-assurance and disregard for others led him to engage in serial womanizing, seducing his cohort Cyndra before shifting his affections to Zannah. He also exhibited ruthless behavior towards anyone who betrayed his causes, as demonstrated when he struck down his ally during the assault on Valorum.
Kelad'den, a highly impassioned individual, was adept at leveraging his confidence and conviction to inspire those under his command. However, his ego and inflated sense of self-importance made him prone to anger when his abilities or leadership were questioned. This tendency caused discord among the other members of the Anti-Republic Liberation Front.
Physically, Kelad'den possessed rapid reflexes and a well-toned physique honed through years of rigorous physical training. He embraced challenges, seeking opportunities to enhance his skills and refine his abilities further. This training became evident when Kelad'den demonstrated superior speed and combat prowess compared to Johun Othone, although he was ultimately defeated by the Jedi Knight.
Kelad'den employed two razor-sharp cortosis scythes in combat.
Drew Karpyshyn conceived Kelad'den for Darth Bane: Rule of Two, the second novel in his Darth Bane Trilogy.