- "Your exploits were quite impressive."
- ―Depa Billaba praises the Bad Batch on Kaller
Depa Billaba was a Human female Chalactan Jedi Master. She studied the ways of the Force under Jedi Master Mace Windu. Billaba served on the Jedi High Council alongside her former master for years before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, replacing the missing Jedi Council member Sifo-Dyas. At the start of the Clone Wars, her seat was replaced by newly appointed Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi when Billaba was severely wounded and comatosed by General Grievous during a battle on the Mid Rim world of Haruun Kal.
During her recovery, Billaba took on Caleb Dume as her Padawan learner. At the end of the war, when her clone troopers were ordered to turn on her under the directive of Order 66 during the Battle of Kaller, she sacrificed her life so that her student could escape.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Depa Billaba and her sister, Sar Labooda, were rescued from space pirates after they slew their parents by Master of the Jedi Order, Mace Windu. Windu would later go on to train Billaba, who learned and perfected her master's lightsaber form known as Vaapad. During the many years of her Jedi training, Billaba continued to follow her spiritual Chalactan traditions alongside her Jedi ones. As a Jedi Master, she was appointed to the Jedi High Council in the years prior to the Blockade of Naboo. Billaba was one of the youngest Jedi ever to be selected to be on the Council due to a fast-tracked career and impressively rapid rise despite her youth, similar to her master.
Outbreak of the Clone Wars and comatose[]
Billaba served on the Council for a decade before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. While she was absent in the first devastating battle on Geonosis, her sister, Sar Labooda, perished there. She served as a Jedi General at the start of the war, assigned to a long, brutal frontline campaign on the dark side-ravaged planet of Haruun Kal, where her clone battalion suffered ninety percent casualties and she was severely injured and comatosed by the Droid General, Grievous.
During the late stages of the war, Billaba regained consciousness and rejoined the High Council after having her seat replaced by Obi-Wan Kenobi, replacing her now deceased colleague Even Piell.
Aftermath[]
- "You must run! RUN, Caleb!"
- ―Depa Billaba's last words to her padawan as her troops attack
Billaba returned to the battlefront with her new Padawan, Caleb Dume, and led her clone troopers in a battle on the planet Kaller. When the Republic forces became overpowered by the Separatist droid army, Billaba sent her Padawan to retrieve reinforcements while she and Captain Grey held the line. Billaba and her troops were pushed to the brink, though she had faith that Dume would pull through. He soon returned with only five clones, the Clone Commandos of Clone Force 99, better known as the "Bad Batch." The squad single-handedly drove out the Battle Droids, knocking out their commander and pushing the Armored Assault Tanks over the cliff edge.
Billaba was surprised that so few pulled off the feat but praised the Bad Batch for their success. The squad leader, Sergeant Hunter, reported that the rest of the clones were securing the capital while they would go ahead and clear out any remaining droids. Dume asked his master if he could go with them, which Billaba allowed. As Dume departed with the Bad Batch, Captain Grey received a transmission from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, issuing Order 66. Forced to comply with the order, Grey and his men attacked Billaba. Dume rushed off to try and help, but Billaba ordered him to run. She held off the clones while her student escaped but she was quickly struck down.
Behind the scenes[]
- Depa Billaba was originally to appear in Crystal Crisis on Utapau arc though she was cut from the episodes, with her concept art being featured on StarWars.com. She later made her on-screen debut in the seventh and final season on Disney+.
- She wields a blue-bladed lightsaber in her appearance on Star Wars: The Bad Batch, though she previously wielded a green blade in the comic, Star Wars: Kanan.
Appearances[]
The Clone Wars[]
- "Old Friends Not Forgotten" (Appears in hologram) (Appears in flashback(s))
The Bad Batch[]
Tales of the Jedi[]
Books[]
- Star Wars: Dark Disciple (First appearance) (Appears in hologram)