Origins
Aayla was born on the Twi’lek home planet of Ryloth. She was discovered by a Padawan named Quinlan Vos, who sensed she was in danger while he was there on a mission. He persuaded his teacher, Master Tholme, to have her tested on Coruscant. She passed and was trained as a Jedi by both Master Tholme and later, Master Quinlan.
Creation
Aayla Secura was created by John Ostrander and artist Jan Duursema and first appeared in comics in Star Wars 19 (2000).
Character Evolution
She became highly proficient with a lightsaber, studying both Jar’Kai and Ataru styles. Secura and Quinlan Vos had many adventures together; rescuing a princess from Skyboat Pirates, facing Terbests on Ogden Minor and solving the Mystery of the Lodi. Secura had her first brush with the Dark side when Quinlan and Aayla were sent on a mission to investigate glitteryll drug production on Ryloth. The pair were captures and given the drug to erase their memories. She was then taken by her uncle, Pol Secura, who kept her on the drug to prevent her from remembering her Jedi training. A stranger came to visit her, showing her her lightsaber and calling her his Padawan. Aayla remembered nothing. The man, Quinlan Vos, figured Pol was behind her memory loss and came for him. In the confusion, Aayla force pushed her uncle off the balcony. She blamed the stranger for her uncle’s death.
In a bid for revenge, Aayla sought help from the Dark Jedi Volfe Karkko on Kiffex. He instructed her to hunt the planet’s Jedi and bring them back, alive, to feed his power. Quinlan followed her to the Jedi Prison and battled with Aayla. During the fight her memories returned. Karkko interrupted by hitting her in the back with force lightning. When she awoke, Quinlan had defeated the Dark Jedi. She started retraining as a Jedi with Master Tholme.
Around 30BBY, Secura and Master Tholme went on a mission to protect her cousin and clan heir, Nat Secura. Her master was captured by two Nikto Morgukai, while Secura followed Vilmarh Grahrk who was in league with them. The trail went cold, but she manage to locate her former master Quinlan Vos on the planet Ord Mantell, where she explained the situation to him. Vos agreed to help her, and the two learned that the mastermind behind the plot to kill Nat Secura was the Twi’lek, Kh’aris Fen. Secura and Vos broke into his fortress with Secura rescuing Nat and her master, while Vos went after Fen and Tsyr.
When the mission was completed, Secura was promoted to a Jedi Knight, while Vos was promoted to Jedi Master. Aayla shared a brief relationship with Jedi Master Kit Fisto, but decided to end it due to her dedication to the Jedi Order. During the Clone Wars, Secura achieved the rank of Jedi Master.
Major Story Arcs
Clone Wars
Aayla was on Coruscant at the beginning of the Clone Wars and was part of the Jedi strike force, led by Mace Windu on Geonosis to rescue the captured Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as well as Senator Padme Amidala. After the battle, she became a general, leading the 327th Star Corps. Shortly after the battle on Geonosis, Aayla was sent to intercept a Techno Union scientist to intercept designs for a new droid. Soon after, she infiltrated a space station called the Wheel by posing as a down on her luck mechanic searching for Quinlan. Quinlan and Aayla uncovered plans to attack the planet Kamino, they assisted the Republic in defending the rainy planet, thus securing the production of more clone warriors.
Aayla would stay and prevent sabotage there with the assistance of Master Kit Fisto. During the battle, Secura fell in the oceans of Kamino, but was rescued by Fisto. It was that moment when the two Jedi started their brief relationship.
Battle for Hypori
Four months after Geonosis, Aayla participated in the battle for Hypori where she was one of the Jedi who survived their first encounter with General Grievous. Grevious gripped Aayla and the dead Tarr Seirr with his feet and sent them both flying into the ceiling. She suffered grave wounds and was only saved by the intervention of a squad of ARC Troopers.
Mission to Devaron
Sometime during the war, Aayla was assigned to a Jedi task force with Masters Tholme, T’ra Saa, Kit Fisto, and An’ya Kuro (Dark Woman) to investigate Separatist raids around the Corellian Trade Spine. The group discovered that Senator Vien’sai Malloc was playing both sides of the war. When the Jedi went to apprehend the senator, she hired the bounty hunter, Aurra Sing to take down the Jedi.
On the planet Devaron, Sing managed to lure the Jedi in a trap. She incapacitated Master Tholme and her former Master, An’ya Kuro under some rocks, leaving her with Secura. Secura managed to defeat her using Sing’s anger against her and turned her over to the authorities.
Siege of Saleucami
Aayla would be one of the many Jedi stationed on Saleucami in order to combat the Morgukai cloned army the Separatist’s had created, as well as to attempt to destroy the cloning facilities creating said clones. Aayla would spearhead many battles over the long months of combat against the enemy, leading forces both on land and in a starfighter. Near the end of the occupation, Aayla would team up with her former Master Quinlan Vos in order destroy a shield that was preventing Republic bombardment and allowing the CIS forces to hold out longer than they should have.
As Vos went to engage Dark Jedi Sora Bulq and Tol Skorr, Aayla set up explosive charges that destabilized the cave systems under the city, destroying the cloning facilities that were producing the cloned Morgukai warriors. As she attempted to escape. Aayla came into contact with a Morgukai warrior named Bok who she had previously fought and cut of his right hand.
The two dueled again, and although Aayla had her lightsaber shorted out early in the duel, she was able to kill Bok by using the Force to send him into energy beams. As she escaped with Vos, Vos’s lover Khaleen Hentz, and Jedi Master Tholme, the Republic rained down fire on the city, allowing for a Republic victory.
Death
Aayla, like many other Jedi, was betrayed by the Clone Soldiers under her command by Order 66. She died on the planet Felucia. The Empire falsely stated that she was executed because she had been trying to contaminate the planet’s water supply when it was really the separatists who planned to poison Felucia’s water.
To some of the cultures and peoples she helped, the Empire’s lies would not hold and she was even worshiped by some. Even as late as 40 ABY, the descendants of such worlds were still writing fictitious accounts of her life.
Powers and Abilities
Aayla was trained as a Jedi Guardian. She was a master of the Form IV lightsaber style Ataru, had some training in form V Djem So, and utilized the duel wielding Jar’Kai style as well. She would prove her skill throughout her career, defeating enemies such as the deadly bounty hunter and Jedi killer Aurra Sing in single combat, defeat seasoned Morgukai warriors in single combat as well as groups of cloned Nikto soldiers, survive the First Battle of Geonosis, and defeat hordes of Separatist battle droids throughout the Clone Wars. Her ability to engage groups of enemies, namely Anzati-trained Nikto and battle droids, speaks volumes about her skill level, as her main form is Ataru, which isn’t suitable to fighting multiple enemies at once. Master Yoda even states that only masters of the form can engage multiple enemies at once and hope to prevail. She also displays skill in unarmed combat, defeating a group of thugs in a mater of seconds while looking for Quinlan Vos, as well as holding off a Morgukai warrior without the use of her lightsaber.
Although not ranking in the most powerful Jedi of her day, Secura was a skilled Force user and didn’t shy away from using her powers, despite being trained as a Guardian. Secura has shown great resourcefulness with her powers, using the Force in tandem with other Jedi to create a secure bubble to protect against gas, use the Force to put a Devaronian man to sleep, and literally becoming invisible to a pack of wild Quarra. Throughout her life, she’s displayed powers such as:
- Force Push
- Force Stealth
- Force Sense
- Force Heal
- Mind Trick
- Tutaminis
- Animal Friendship/Beast Control
- Telekinetic Lightsaber Throw
She was also skilled with stealth and infiltration, using the Force cloak ability to her advantage. Along with her beauty, Secura was able to use the Force to seduce people for information.
Other Media
Movies
In the films Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Aayla is portrayed by Amy Allen. She is one of the few film characters to begin life in the Star Wars’ Expanded Universe. She appears in all three of the Prequel Trilogy movies.
Television
Star Wars Clone Wars
In the 2003 series, Aayla Secura was featured in two episodes. In Chapter 20, Aayla, along with Master Ki-Adi Mundi, Master Shaak Ti, K’Kruhk, Tarr Seirr, and Sha’s Gi were pinned down by the droid army on the planet Hypoi. They were then attacked by General Grievous who killed Tarr Seirr, and overwhelmed Secura, Ti, and K’Kruhk. In Chapter 21, Arc troopers managed to rescue Secura, Ti, and Mundi.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
In the 2007 series, Aayla was featured in several episodes. In season one, episode thirteen and fourteen, Secura was with Rex, some clone troopers, Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka when they crashed landed on the planet. Skywalker was injured in the crash and was need of medical attention. The Separatists were closing in on their position along with the local village. Secura helped protect the village from The Separatists.
In season two of Clone Wars, Secura was featured in the episode The Zillo Beast Strikes Back. She helped Master Yoda distract the beast while Republic ships came to shoot gas at it in an attempt to bring the beast down.
Video Games
Star Wars Battlefront II
Aayla is a playable hero character in the 2005 video game. She uses a blue and green lightsaber.