Kyp Durron
Template:SW Character Kyp Durron is a fictional character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
History
Kyp was born on the Deyer colony of the Anoat System. In an Imperial roundup of dissidents, he and his family were sent to be slaved in the Kessel spice mines. After eight years Han Solo and Chewbacca were taken prisoner and also forced to work in the mines. With the help of Kyp they all managed to escape. In their flight, Kyp piloted them through The Maw, a cluster of black holes, and to a top secret military program under Admiral Daala. It is here that Kyp first found the Sun Crusher and used it to escape. Upon their return, Kyp found a place at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy.
During his work at the spice mines he was taught a litle bit of the force by a former Jedi Master Vima-da-boda that also worked in the spice mines during the time he did.
Soon he became dissatisfied with the slow pace of Luke's teachings and came under the influence of the dark sider Exar Kun. Kyp recaptured the Sun Crusher and pursued a destructive course. One of his first actions was to destroy Carida's sun, annihilating the Imperial base located there. After he fired his weapon, he discovered that his own brother was still alive and among the ranks of stormtroopers at the Imperial Academy there. Kyp was unable to save him in time though, and fell farther into the clutches of the dark side because of it. This was a controversial act: though many derided him as a mass murderer, others claimed that Kyp shortened the war and that Carida's graduates would have eventually killed more people than those who perished in the supernova.
Luke and Han Solo were eventually able to catch up to him and return him to the light. It is then that he finally destroys the Sun Crusher, piloting it into a black hole, and only narrowly escaping by squeezing himself into a message pod thought too small for any human to inhabit. As a result of this, Durron suffered multiple broken ribs and other fractured bones.
He quickly grows strong in the force and takes on Miko Reglia as his Jedi apprentice. Kyp and Reglia form the Dozen and Two Avengers, a vigilante group of X-Wing pilots. This squadron was one of the first to encounter the Yuuzhan Vong. Kyp lost his squadron and his apprentice to the Yuuzhan Vong, barely escaping with his own life in that encounter.
Although he favors more aggressive tactics than many of the other Jedi, he proves himself a valuable asset in the deadly conflict, as well as continuing to be a divisive figure. He briefly took on Jaina Solo as an apprentice and there were hints of a budding relationship between them, but she lost much respect for him when he tricked her into destroying a Yuuzhan Vong worldship that he claimed was a superweapon.
When Jaina Solo fell to the Dark Side, Kyp stepped in and helped guide her back to the light and again took her on as an apprentice until she was knighted, and they developed a close friendship. In helping Jaina fight the Dark Side, Kyp also became much more stable, finally admitting that many of his methods were wrong. Since this reformation, Kyp has become more widely accepted in the Jedi Order.
Though Kyp disagreed with many of Luke Skywalker's policies, he was appointed to the reformed Jedi Council. Kyp eventually learned to work out his differences with Luke and other Jedi, even though their views on certain subjects may differ.
As a Jedi Master, Kyp is one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order, almost rivaling Luke Skywalker in lightsaber and Force skills.
References
- Jedi Search, 1994. Kevin J. Anderson, ISBN 0-553-297978-8
- Dark Apprentice, 1st edition paperback, 1994. Kevin J. Anderson, ISBN 0-553-29799-6
- Champions of the Force, 1st edition paperback, 1994. Kevin J. Anderson, 0-553-29799-6
- Star Wars: Darksaber, 1st edition, 1995. Kevin J. Anderson, ISBN 0-553-57611-9
- Vector Prime, 1999. R. A. Salvatore, ISBN 0-345-42844-7