Guardians of the Whills
The Guardians of the Whills are a faction in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. The Guardians are depicted as an organization of ascetics who revere the Force, a metaphysical concept in the Star Wars fictional universe, though unlike the Jedi or the Sith, they do not appear to wield overtly supernatural powers derived from their connection to the Force.
The term Whills originated from unused in-universe elements and story treatments by series creator George Lucas for the franchise's film series, most notably the Journal of the Whills, Part I (Lucas's earliest known draft for the first film). Following the acquisition of Lucas' company Lucasfilm, Ltd. and the Star Wars intellectual property by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, the term is repurposed and reintroduced as the Guardians of the Whills, an esoteric monastic order who protect visiting pilgrims to a sacred temple located in the planet Jedha. A blind Guardian named Chirrut Îmwe and his companion Baze Malbus appear as supporting characters in the 2016 film Rogue One, they aid members of the Rebel Alliance to steal plans of the Death Star, the ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire. Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus are portrayed by Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen respectively. Members of the monastic order have appeared in other Star Wars media, in particular the 2017 eponymous tie-in novel to Rogue One which featured appearances by Chirrut and Baze.
Both Chirrut and Baze have received a positive reception, and have since been recognized as fan favorites and influential characters in their own right.
Appearances[edit]
Rogue One[edit]
Chirrut first appears on the streets of Jedha City preaching about the Force, where he encounters Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor. After sensing that Jyn's necklace is made of Kyber crystal, the same material that power lightsabers, he asks her if she knew what they were. He later comes to her aid after a plot to disguise herself and her companions was foiled by Imperial forces, as Jedha City is caught up in a conflict between Partisan insurgents, led by Saw Gerrera, and Imperial forces who are looting the Guardians' Temple of the Kyber for Kyber crystals. Using his highly honed senses to determine the positions of approaching Imperial troopers, as well as a timely assist by Baze Malbus, he defeated them in quick succession. Chirrut, Baze, Jyn, and Cassian are then abducted by Partisan forces and herded into confinement cells. Along with Imperial defector Bodhi Rook, the group would eventually make their escape from the Partisan base aboard a U-Wing as Jedha City is attacked and destroyed by the Empire's new superweapon, the Death Star.
With the remnants of the temple the Guardians are sworn to protect obliterated, Chirrut and Baze remain with Jyn's group and accompany them to the Imperial world of Eadu in search for Jyn's father Galen, who originally designed the Death Star under duress. Chirrut warns Jyn about Cassian's possible murderous intent towards Galen, as he had sensed the Force flowing darkly about him. Chirrut and Baze help the Rebels fight off Imperial forces, before departing on a stolen shuttle to Yavin IV. After the Rebel Alliance declines Jyn's request to send a fleet to the world of Scarif, Chirrut and Baze join her mission to break into the Imperial archives to secure the plans for the Death Star, and are put in charge of an assault team that would set charges to lure out Imperial Stormtroopers. Both Chirrut and Baze subsequently hold the line in order to extend time for their allies to complete their tasks; Chirrut dies in an explosion after flipping a switch to broadcast the Death Star plans to the Rebels via a signal, while Baze sacrifices himself to help deactivate the planetary deflector shield which blocks the signal.
In other media[edit]
Chirrut and Baze appear as the main characters of the 2017 prequel tie-in novel to Rogue One, Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills, which explores their backstories, as well as their past interactions with Saw Gerrera.[7][12] A manga adaptation of the novel by Viz Media is set for release on 4 May 2021.[13]
Several Guardians appear in a flashback retelling by recurring Star Wars Rebels character Hondo Ohnaka in the 2019 tie-in comic book miniseries to the theme park attraction Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Set prior to the events of Rogue One, the Guardians intercept him and his client in a "sacred tunnel" passageway and attempt to stop them from trespassing into the Temple of the Kyber.[14]