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Star Wars knows a thing or two about villains. Darth Vader is arguably the greatest villain in the history of popular culture, and the Sith Lords who have followed him have achieved varying levels of adoration and cult fandom. The franchise has a knack for assembling worthy opponents for its heroes, but few manage to evoke the terror of one Abeloth.
Abeloth is fear incarnate. Seriously, anyone who has encountered the character in the wider Star Wars universe knows she is among the most intimidating, coldly logical, and dangerous forces that have ever been conjured up with Midichlorians. We use the word “force” carefully here, as she is exactly that: a malevolent force who brings chaos wherever she goes.
Abeloth demands respect above all else, and as such, we are going to break down what makes her such a memorable presence in Star Wars.
Who is Abeloth?
Abeloth’s beginnings were actually somewhat humble. She was a mortal woman who sought out power, and wound up intertwined with the Father, the Son, and the Daughter of the Force. This triumvirate, also known as the Ones, are a powerful Force-wielding family that represent different aspects of the force itself: the Father represented balance, Son aligned with the dark side, and the Daughter aligned with the light side.
Abeloth stepped into the role of the Mother, which effectively meant that she too maintained balance. In an effort to transcend her mortal coil, she drank from a fountain known as the Font of Power, which is said to grant unlimited power to its consumers. Seeking more power, she also bathed in the Pool of Knowledge which bestowed her with all knowledge in the galaxy. But in doing this, she was corrupted and transformed into a feared monster.
Her role as Mother was in conflict with the Father, who left her on their planet in an effort to protect the Son and the Daughter. An instectoid species, the Killik, were enlisted to help capture and imprison Abeloth. They were successful, but so was Abeloth in escaping imprisonment. Repeatedly. This catch-and-escape routine went on for years, only ending with the deaths of the Ones.
How powerful is Abeloth?
According to Character Profile Wikia, Abeloth is the strongest Force user in Galactic history. She can increase her power at will, is able to manipulate objects without so much as moving a muscle, and she has defeated Jedi masters like Luke Skywalker on multiple occasions. More on that later.
Wookieepedia also states that Abeloth’s power is so overwhelming that mortals are not able to fully comprehend it. She’s been described by different characters as a “nova” and a “living Force volcano.”
She can switch bodies with whomever she chooses, and she caused lava to flow through the planet of Coruscant through her sheer presence. Thankfully, Abeloth is not invincible, and is able to sustain injuries through force blasts and lightsaber strikes.
It’s worth noting that Abeloth is, quite frankly, scary to look at. She no longer resembles a human, but a skeletal creature from a nightmare. With her tentacles and razor-sharp teeth, she looks every bit like the threat she is.
Is Abeloth part of Star Wars canon?
Abeloth was introduced in the Star Wars novel Fate of the Jedi: Outcast (2009). The novel was the first in a series of novels that ran over the next decade, and Abeloth’s origin, as well as her battles with the remains of the Jedi order, were documented in Fate of the Jedi: Abyss and Fate of the Jedi: Allies (both 2010).
Abeloth is a fixture of the Expanded Universe (EU), but the character was removed from the official Star Wars canon in 2012. She has not appeared in any of the Star Wars shows or films after the franchise was purchased by Disney, and she’s been limited to mere mentions in novels outside of the Fate of the Jedi series.
Why? Well, Disney attempted to create its own version of the post-Revenge of the Jedi canon with the Star Wars sequel trilogy. However, the franchise’s biggest successes in recent years are from shows that have borrowed heavily from the EU, such as The Clone Wars andThe Mandalorian. This has given fans hope that Abeloth will make the jump from page to screen.
What are the best Abeloth stories?
As previously mentioned, Abeloth’s story mostly plays out in the Fate of the Jedi series, though there are specific titles in the series that best showcase her character.
The arc that takes place during the last few novels, Fate of the Jedi: Ascension and Fate of Jedi: Apocalypse (both 2012), detail the harrowing consequences of Abeloth being unleashed after Jacen Solo, son of Princess Leia and Han Solo, turns to the Dark Side and attempts to reignite the Sith.
Abeloth’s presence is so destructive that Luke Skywalker decides he must hunt her down and kill her. This proves much easier said than done. Abeloth defeats Skywalker multiple times, takes control of Skywalker’s son Ben and a Sith named Vestara Khai in an effort to recreate her “family.” Did we mention that she produced groundquakes that killed billions of innocent people?
The Fate of the Jedi storyline gets pretty harrowing, especially when it seems as though Abeloth is unbeatable, but Luke Skywalker regroups. He teams up with the Lost Tribe of the Sith and ventures to the realm of Mortis to obtain a dagger that can kill Abeloth once and for all.
You read that right: Abeloth is such a problem that Jedi and Sith were forced to come together, and set their differences aside, so that they could destroy her. Like we said: Abeloth is fear incarnate.
Will Abeloth appear in Ahsoka?
Abeloth is technically defeated in Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse, but the character is so powerful that she’s virtually impossible to vanquish for good. Abeloth’s profile has risen in recent years, as Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka have incorporated elements of the Expanded Universe and even made indirect references to Abeloth.
In the season 1 finale of Ahsoka, it’s revealed that a powerful presence is calling to Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) from the extragalactic world of Peridea. Skoll wants to end the cycle of conflict between the Jedi and the Sith, and many fans have interpreted this to be a hint at the reintroduction (and re-canonization) of Abeloth.
While Abeloth’s name is never uttered in the show, it’s easy to see how the character could fit in with Skoll’s desire to break the generational conflict. The character is, after all, the “Bringer of Chaos”, and given how fearful ancient beings like the Great Mothers are, the presence calling out to Skoll has to be someone of immense power.
Dave Filoni, the showrunner for Ahsoka, and the mastermind behind the Star Wars TV shows writ large, talked about the Abeloth tease during an interview with Comic Book Movie. He didn’t confirm that Abeloth would be appearing outright, but he did make it clear that she was the character that was being alluded to in the finale.
“You have to be careful with that,” Filoni said, in reference to Abeloth and the symbolism of the Mortis Gods. “I know it’s a very specific group of people that would even know what those statues are, but I thought it was an exciting image, and it does give you the shape of what Baylan is after.”
We can’t say for sure that Abeloth will make her live-action debut in Ahsoka season 2, but we can say that Dave Filoni and company are laying the foundation for what could be a very spectacular appearance. Fingers crossed!
