Saesee Tiin

Saesee Tiin, an Iktotchi male originating from the moon of Iktotch, dedicated himself to the service of the Jedi Order. He was the Padawan of Omo Bouri, a highly respected Jedi Master. Sometime between 50 BBY and 42 BBY, Tiin was present at the funeral of Jedi Master Katri, who had been murdered by security guards on Raxus Secundus. He also participated in the Stark Hyperspace War. Eventually, he achieved the rank of Jedi Master and secured a position on the Jedi High Council by the year 40 BBY. In that year, Tiin attended a Council discussion regarding the conflict between Czerka Arms and the Pijali monarchy.

In 33 BBY, Saesee Tiin devoted a significant portion of his time to maintaining the Jedi Order's various spacecraft and ground vehicles, engaging with contractors and droids, and supervising teams of Jedi students. Tiin was present during a council session where Qui-Gon Jinn challenged the council to focus more on individuals within the galaxy and the living Force, arguing that the Jedi Order's concentration on large-scale issues had caused them to overlook smaller, more immediate concerns. When the potential closure of the outpost on the planet Kwenn was raised, a facility that had been operational for 200 years and represented a considerable Jedi investment, the council decided to convene in person on Kwenn before making a final decision. They planned an anniversary celebration for the people of Kwenn, aiming to address Jinn's concerns.

Tiin and Master Plo Koon journeyed together to Kwenn aboard a Jedi shuttle, landing at the spaceport in Capital Key. Lacking a specific mission beyond a general desire to provide assistance, the two hailed a Kwikhaul landspeeder taxi driven by the droid SK-89. Koon instructed the droid to transport them to the Bivall Colony on Parva Key, a location he had visited in the past, believing that the Bivall refugees there were likely in need of aid. When SK-89 sped through an intersection, nearly colliding with another vehicle, Tiin and Koon realized it was her first time driving. Midway through their journey, while on Zyboh Key, four other speeders surrounded them and began bumping into their vehicle. At this point, Tiin assumed control of the speeder and attempted to evade their attackers, but more speeders joined the pursuit. Subsequently, Tiin discovered that the controls were unresponsive, as the speeder was being automatically piloted back to the Kwikhaul depot. At the depot, the drivers and passengers of the other speeders formed an angry crowd around them, and SK-89 informed them that she, not the Jedi, was the target of their anger.

Tiin and Koon realized that they had inadvertently become involved in a labor dispute at Kwikhaul. The owner, Fraxa, had replaced all the drivers with droids that morning, and the former employees had stormed the compound and destroyed the droids. Fraxa demanded that the Jedi arrest the workers for destroying private property. However, they chose to listen to both sides of the story. Fraxa argued that she could no longer afford to employ organic drivers. The workers countered that the droids she was using were unsafe, and that Fraxa had ample funds for her personal use. She responded that tourism and industry were declining on Kwenn, resulting in less business for Kwikhaul. Tiin intervened, pointing out that Kwikhaul's landspeeders could easily be converted to operate on water, allowing them to function as water taxis and oceanic tourism vehicles. He offered assistance with the retrofit. He then noticed the fleet of unused touring buses and suggested that they be modified and used by the droids to collect garbage from the streets. He volunteered to contact the droid mechanic Heezo at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to help repair the droids that the workers had destroyed. These new initiatives satisfied both Fraxa and the Kwikhaul workers, and the two Jedi assisted in initiating the work.

During the Jedi Council's sojourn on Kwenn, Tiin and Koon continued their collaboration with Kwikhaul. Tiin delivered a speederbus to transport the group of teenagers under the supervision of Master Even Piell, and provided the teens with a mechanics lesson while there. Koon and Tiin assisted in Master Oppo Rancisis' rescue of a beached oroko; Tiin used girders to connect several repulsorcraft engines into an open-framed flying platform and attempted to lift the oroko with cables. This approach failed because the terrified creature's grip on the ground intensified as the cables were pulled. Instead, Koon and Tiin conceived a plan to bring the ocean to the oroko. They set the hovering platform to spin and sabotaged the engines before swimming away. The platform crashed into the ocean, creating a plume of water that the Jedi directed toward the beach using the Force, enabling the oroko to follow the wave back into the water. Subsequently, Tiin and Koon discussed the effectiveness of the Council's visit to Kwenn, with Tiin deeming the endeavor unproductive and Koon disagreeing.

Thanks to various intelligence sources, the Jedi had prior knowledge that the allied pirate gangs led by Zilastra were planning to attack Kwenn on Celebration Day. Tiin contributed his aerial skills to the defense efforts, borrowing Fraxa's ARC-8 starfighter after completing the restoration she had been working on. He engaged pirates in airspeeders over the water, alerting the Coastal Watch to downed craft even before engaging in combat. The fighter's eight wings made it more difficult to steer in the wind, so even though Tiin intended to only hit glancing blows, he destroyed several of the pirate airspeeders. The pirates were later rescued from the ocean by the Coastal Watch. When some of the pirates headed for land on Capital Key, Tiin followed and left the ARC-8 to fight on land. He declined assistance when contacted by Koon.

Before returning to Coruscant, Tiin and Koon made repairs on Fraxa's ARC-8. Koon felt very satisfied with all the work the Jedi had done on Kwenn, but Tiin only looked ahead to all his unfinished work back on Coruscant. The upgrade of the Jedi fleet was still in progress, and he wanted to solve a software error on Jinn's shuttle. Koon expressed to Tiin that despite Tiin's gruff and sometimes antisocial nature, he was good at telling people the unadorned truth when they needed to hear it, and should make sure he wasn't always holed up in a hangar or meeting.

In 32 BBY, the planet Naboo was subjected to a blockade. Master Qui-Gon Jinn, dispatched by Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum to resolve the blockade alongside his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, appeared before the Council after rescuing Queen Padmé Amidala and bringing her to Coruscant. He informed the Council that he believed he had encountered a Sith Lord on Tatooine and that a slave he had freed, Anakin Skywalker, was the Chosen One. While many members of the Council were skeptical of Jinn's claims, Tiin considered them plausible. Nevertheless, the Council ultimately denied Jinn permission to train Anakin due to his age. Following Jinn's death during the Battle of Naboo at the hands of Darth Maul, Tiin and the rest of the Council attended his funeral and decided to allow Kenobi to train Skywalker, fulfilling Jinn's dying wish.

The Galactic Republic recovered Darth Maul's personal vessel, the Sith Infiltrator Scimitar. After initial technicians were killed by its self-defense mechanisms, Master Tiin was summoned to assist in securing the ship. While substantial spying equipment was discovered, the computer systems had been wiped. The Scimitar was then recovered by Darth Sidious, Maul's Sith Master and publicly known as the newly elected Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, while en route to Kuat Drive Yards for further inspection.

Tiin participated in the First Battle of Geonosis, which marked the beginning of the Clone Wars against the fallen Jedi and now Sith Lord Count Dooku and the newly formed Confederacy of Independent Systems with their battle droid armies. Unlike many others who perished in the battle, Tiin survived, escaping the Petranaki Arena alongside Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi, and subsequently became a Jedi General within the Grand Army of the Republic.

Following the outbreak of the war, Tiin, along with the other members of the Jedi Council, attended a meeting where Windu was assigned a mission. Republic scouts had discovered that the Confederacy had occupied the planet Hissrich in the Outer Rim Territories, leading the council to fear that the Confederacy intended to use the planet as a staging area for attacks on neighboring star systems. To assess the threat level, Windu, accompanied by Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Prosset Dibs, and Jedi Knight Rissa Mano, was tasked with undertaking a covert mission to gather information. Later, Tiin was again present at a meeting where Windu reported the success of his mission.

On one occasion, Tiin was conversing with a Jedi friend in the Jedi Temple when the conversation between Ahsoka Tano and Skywalker caught their attention.

During the Clone Wars, Tiin was present at the Jedi Temple when Delta Squad returned with the bodies of Jedi Master Halsey and his apprentice Knox, who had been killed in the massacre on Devaron. Adi Gallia suspected the involvement of the presumed dead Asajj Ventress, while Jedi Master Plo Koon suspected a newly appointed Sith Lord. Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, believed the perpetrator to be a monstrous animal. The mysterious killer was revealed to be the former Nightbrother Savage Opress, which surprised Kenobi as Opress appeared similar to Darth Maul, whom he had supposedly defeated on Naboo years before.

Tiin participated in the rescue of Even Piell, Wilhuff Tarkin, and his men from the Citadel prison on Lola Sayu, where they were imprisoned because they possessed vital information regarding hyperspace coordinates that could significantly alter the course of the war for whichever faction possessed it. Piell was killed by an Anooba that attacked him. Tiin, along with Adi Gallia, Plo Koon, and Kit Fisto, rescued the remaining members of the team and returned with them to Coruscant. As the war progressed, Jedi aces, including Skywalker, Plo Koon, and Tiin, modified their Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptors, with updates being shared among other Jedi pilots.

Later, Fisto, Skywalker, and their clone troopers found themselves trapped on Mon Cala in a losing battle against the superior forces of Separatist commander Riff Tamson. Fisto and the others managed to send a faint signal to the Jedi Temple, but it was too weak and quickly faded. Windu interpreted the broken communication as a sign of the Republic's impending defeat. Noting that it would take a considerable amount of time to train new SCUBA troopers to reinforce them, the situation was dire. In response, Yoda suggested seeking assistance from a suitable Republic ally. Master Tiin proposed contacting the Gungans, an amphibious species with a standing army, who were friendly with the Republic and located near Mon Cala. The Gungan Grand Army agreed to help, providing Republic reinforcements that ultimately contributed to their victory in the battle.

Following his participation in the Battle of Mon Calamari, Tiin joined Anakin Skywalker, Pong Krell, and Obi-Wan Kenobi for the Battle of Umbara, with Pong Krell and Master Tiin's troops supporting Kenobi's forces in the south of the planet. Tiin was present during the funeral of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was in fact a deception orchestrated by the Council to infiltrate the ranks of bounty hunters and uncover a plan by Count Dooku to capture Chancellor Palpatine. This plan succeeded, as Skywalker and Windu were able to prevent the Chancellor's assassination on Naboo. Tiin attended the funeral for the victims of the bombing of the Jedi Temple, where the culprit of the bombing, Admirals and political figures was hiding among the present Jedi.

In 19 BBY, Tiin participated in the decision to expel Jedi fugitive Ahsoka Tano after the bombing. He, along with Masters Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi, did not believe Tano was innocent of the crime. Tiin noted that Tano had been found with nano-droid explosives, the same devices used in the bombing, which he believed was sufficient evidence for her conviction. Ultimately, however, Tano's name was cleared after Barriss Offee, the actual bomber, was exposed by Anakin Skywalker. Tano was offered a place back in the Order, but she declined.

Later that year, Tiin was present when Master Yoda sensed a voice from beyond the grave, but the combined power of the Council members could not detect anything. Subsequently, Yoda departed Coruscant without the Council's explicit permission. On the planet Dagobah, Yoda experienced a vision in which Tiin engaged in a lightsaber duel with Darth Sidious and was killed when Sidious stabbed him. Tiin was present with Akar-Deshu and some of his council counterparts discussing Quinlan Vos's fall to the dark side.

Tiin continued his involvement in the Clone Wars, including the crucial Battle of Coruscant, where thousands of Republic and Separatist ships clashed above the Republic capital world. During the battle, clone troopers from the Star Destroyer Impavid, under the command of General Tiin, launched an assault on the Separatist Providence-class Dreadnought Prosperous and successfully captured it.

During the battle, Separatist Head of State Count Dooku was killed, and Supreme Commander General Grievous fled to Utapau, where General Kenobi ultimately eliminated the cyborg Separatist leader. As the Battle of Utapau commenced, Tiin was among the four Council members dispatched to arrest Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who had been revealed by Anakin Skywalker to be the powerful Sith Lord Darth Sidious, along with Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Windu. However, Sidious resisted the arrest, drawing his red lightsaber and engaging the Jedi in combat. Despite the skills of the Jedi Masters, the Sith Lord swiftly defeated Kolar and Tiin, who became the first victims of the Great Jedi Purge, before briefly dueling Windu and Fisto, with only Windu surviving to continue the fight. Skywalker's betrayal led to Windu being thrown out the window by Sidious' Force lightning, and Skywalker succumbed to the Dark side of the Force, being christened Darth Vader. This failed attempt to arrest the Chancellor resulted in the destruction of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Galactic Empire.

Shortly after the Battle of Fortress Vader, Vader entered a portal created by Darth Momin in an attempt to resurrect his wife, Padmé Amidala. While traversing through visions, he encountered Tiin, along with numerous Jedi he had known as Anakin, with their lightsabers ignited and ready for battle. However, Vader killed all the illusions, first impaling Tiin through the chest as the words "let the past die" echoed in his mind.

Saesee Tiin, an Iktotchi male, possessed a height of 1.93 meters, which equates to six feet and four inches. Within the Jedi High Council, Tiin was considered a warrior of legendary status. Possessing steadfastness and bravery, he was not known for his verbosity, generally preferring solitude, carefully selecting his words as he thoughtfully observed debates and contemplated the will of the Force. While he could be perceived as brusque and lacked a reputation for sociability, he did possess a sense of humor that emerged in certain contexts. Endowed with a strong sense of justice, he readily applied his mechanical expertise to resolve problems. Confident in his capabilities, his dedication to his work sometimes resulted in isolation. Despite his reserved and direct demeanor, his practical approach and tendency to speak with candor earned him the respect of his peers.

Tiin exhibited telepathic powers that surpassed those of most Jedi, and he was recognized as one of the Order's most skilled starfighter pilots. His mechanical aptitude was exceptional, leading Master Plo Koon to believe that Tiin had the capacity to pilot or repair any vessel ever constructed. Additionally, he was a celebrated lightsaber combatant. He participated in the initial engagement on Geonosis and numbered among the few who survived their ordeal in the Petranaki arena.

Consistent with the Iktotchi species' characteristics, Tiin's horns possessed the ability to regenerate if damaged.

During the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the character of Saesee Tiin was brought to life by several actors, who also provided his voice: Khan Bonfils in 1999's Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Jesse Jensen (the brother of Kit Fisto's actor Zachariah Jensen) in 2002's Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, and Kenji Oates in 2005's Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Dee Bradley Baker lent his voice to the character in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series.

While working as a set carpenter during the production of Attack of the Clones, Zachariah Jensen, Jesse Jensen's brother, was initially suggested by Matt Sloan for the role of Tiin. However, after George Lucas, the director, and Rick McCallum, the producer, met Zachariah, they cast him as Kit Fisto, and Jesse was subsequently chosen to portray Tiin.

In the Clone Wars episode entitled "Citadel Rescue," the design of Tiin's starfighter incorporated the same pattern as that of Ahsoka's starfighter.

Originally, in the initial script of Revenge of the Sith, Tiin was slated to perish alongside Ki-Adi-Mundi on Mygeeto during the execution of Order 66.