Summary
- The Nameless, powerful Force predators, have been hunting Force sensitives "since time immemorial", long before the High Republic era.
- Their origins are largely unknown, but they have been the subject of Jedi legend since ancient times.
- The Nameless may have encountered the First Jedi 25,000 years before the events of "A Phantom Menace," leading to speculation that they could perhaps appear in the upcoming Dawn of the Jedi movie.
Star Wars has provided new insight into the strange origins of the galaxy's most dangerous Force predators. As seen during the early age known as the High Republic, the Jedi Order found itself in great danger thanks to the marauders known as the Nihil and their control over the powerful beasts known as the Nameless. However, it seems the Force predators are far older and more mysterious than ever imagined.
Thanks to a first look at DK’s Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia during Lucasfilm's Publishing panel at NYCC, a page covering the history of the Nameless has been revealed. Once known as the Shrii-Ka-Rai, the Nameless were instrumental in the fall of the Jedi's Starlight Beacon, its destruction featured at the end of the first phase of novels and comics. Having the ability to completely paralyze a Jedi, the Nameless feed on Force energy until their victim becomes nothing more than a crumbling stone husk. Now, this new character page reveals that the Nameless have been hunting Force sensitives for much longer than the High Republic era alone.
The Nameless Have Hunted Force-Sensitives For Longer Than Anyone Realized
As revealed by this new preview page from the High Republic character encyclopedia, "The dreaded Shrii-Ka-Rai have been the subject of Jedi legend since time immemorial." To that end, it seems the Nameless have apparently been the nightmares of the Jedi long before they were awoken by the Nihil's leader Marchion Ro. This also confirms that the threat of the Nameless goes even further before the creatures' connection to the extremist Force cult known as the Path of the Open Hand, its members believing that the Force should never be wielded (especially by the Jedi).
Although their origins are still largely unknown beyond the rumors that they came from an unknown planet located in Wild Space, the fact that the Nameless have been in existence for so many centuries and millennia before the High Republic era even began is quite significant. As such, one has to wonder what ultimately happened to these powerful creatures who preyed upon the Jedi in great numbers in the centuries prior to the events of Star Wars' prequel trilogy.
When Did The Jedi First Encounter The Nameless?
If the Nameless have indeed been a part of Jedi legends and tales since "time immemorial", it stands to reason that these Force predators may have posed a threat to the First Jedi 25,000 years before A Phantom Menace. This would be a very interesting prospect considering the fact that Lucasfilm is actively developing a Dawn of the Jedi movie with director James Mangold. Perhaps the upcoming movie that finally gives the Nameless their live-action Star Wars debut along with their full history, much of which is still shrouded in galactic mystery.
Source: StarWars.com