Kelnacca

Kelnacca was a Wookiee Jedi Master of the Jedi Order during the High Republic Era. In 230 BBY, he took on a Padawan, Yarzion Vell. A year later, Kelnacca and Vell fought the Nihil marauders on the astronomical object Vianax, and later helped with repairs in a settlement there. Around 228 BBY, Kelnacca and Vell encountered the bounty hunters Lourna Dee, Quin Carree, and Tey Sirrek on the Nihil-occupied planet Naboo. The group formed an alliance and worked together to infiltrate Naboo's Royal Palace. They encountered Sister H'Tar, one of the Nihil's Children of the Storm, who retreated after the Nihil were called to a battle at the planet Eriadu. Later, Kelnacca and Vell rescued the child Yesula and her father from a fire on the astronomical object Veek. After Vell rescued their droid Zeekay, Kelnacca knighted his Padawan and then had Vell tattoo his name on his head, following a tradition from Vell's homeworld.

In 148 BBY, Kelnacca was stationed on the planet Brendok with Jedi Knight Sol, Jedi Master Indara, and her Padawan, Torbin. While investigating a vergence in the Force on the planet, the Jedi discovered a coven of witches led by Mother Aniseya. After becoming concerned that the witches were training the twins Verosha "Osha" and Mae-ho "Mae" Aniseya to use the Force, the Jedi requested to test the twins to become Padawans, which Aniseya reluctantly agreed to. When the Jedi returned to the witches' fortress, a skirmish broke out. Kelnacca was possessed by the witches and attacked Sol and Torbin before Indara broke their hold on his mind. After, the Jedi departed the world with Osha, while Mae was presumed dead.

After Vell's death, Kelnacca agreed to complete the training of his Padawan, Ordea. By 133 BBY, he was living in isolation on the planet Khofar. After learning that Mae had survived and had killed both Indara and Torbin, Sol and a team of Jedi were sent to Khofar to extract Kelnacca. However, before they could, Kelnacca was killed by Mae's master, a Sith known as the Stranger. Following Osha's killing of Sol on Brendok, Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh insisted that Sol had been behind the murders of Kelnacca and his fellow Jedi.

Biography

Nihil conflict

Training a Padawan

Kelnacca was a Wookiee Jedi Master of the Jedi Order who was active during the High Republic Era. After the Starlight Beacon space station was destroyed^[3] by the Nihil marauders and crashed into the ocean of the planet Eiram in 230 BBY,^[7] Kelnacca was sent to the crash site as part of the relief effort from^[3] the planet^[8] Coruscant. On Eiram, Jedi Master Elzar Mann introduced Padawan Yarzion Vell, whose Master, Lulad, had died in the crash, to Kelnacca. After Vell thanked Kelnacca for taking on his training and promised not to let him or the Force down, Kelnacca began walking away from his new Padawan.^[3]

In 229 BBY,^[9] Kelnacca and Vell fought the Nihil on Vianax, an astronomical object within the Nihil controlled Occlusion Zone. Following the battle, the two Jedi assisted the inhabitants of a settlement with repairs, with Kelnacca using telekinesis to lift debris. A group of children watching remarked on Kelnacca's size and strength. An Elomin said that they were excited to see Kelnacca, as they had never seen a Wookiee before, especially since he could use the Force. The group approached Vell, and a human asked if Kelnacca ever spoke, to which Vell responded that he only did when he needed to.^[3]

Occupation of Naboo

Around 228 BBY,^[11] Kelnacca and Vell were present on the Nihil-occupied planet Naboo when they witnessed a confrontation between a group of the marauders and the bounty hunters Lourna Dee, Quin Carree, and Tey Sirrek. Dee shot at a Gloovan Nihil, but Vell leapt and deflected her shot with his lightsaber, instead pushing the Gloovan away with the Force. After two other Nihil noted their surprise at seeing Jedi on Naboo, Kelnacca raised his arm and mind tricked them into setting their blasters to stun and shooting each other. Dee asked the two Jedi who they were, and Vell responded by saying they were friends and introducing both himself and Kelnacca. Kelnacca also responded in Shyriiwook, and Dee replied that it was also nice to meet him before stating that she had heard that Mann still believed there were Jedi alive on Naboo.^[10]

Quin then informed the Jedi that they were looking for survivors of experiments conducted by the Nihil scientist Baron Boolan, and Kelnacca responded in Shyriiwook. Dee then proposed an alliance, offering to help them break into the Nihil stronghold on Naboo and liberate the planet if the Jedi assisted them with locating Sister H'Tar, one of Boolan's Children of the Storm. Kelnacca questioned her, and Dee claimed that she was in it for the money rather than helping out of the goodness of her heart.^[10]

The group then infiltrated Naboo's Royal Palace, with Kelnacca overriding a lock within the building. Quin complained to Dee that she let Kelnacca override the lock instead of letting^[10] her^[12] do it, but Dee responded that it was sometimes better to let the Wookiee slice. Quin apologized, saying that she was jumpy, and Dee stated that she also felt a sense of fear. Vell noted that the feeling was similar to that of the Force-consuming Nameless creatures and asked Kelnacca if he believed any were present, but Kelnacca disagreed. Dee agreed with Kelnacca, noting that the Nameless would not affect her. She then attempted to confirm with Sirrek that they were feeling H'Tar, but he did not respond. Dee then witnessed Kelnacca and the others fall to the ground as she saw^[10] a hallucination caused by H'Tar^[13] of an individual appearing similar to her past self attack her.^[10]

Battle for Naboo

Dee began fighting the hallucination and raised her arm to punch it as it knelt on the ground. Before she could, Kelnacca grabbed her arm to stop her, and Dee saw that the hallucination was actually Vell, who had seen Dee as a Nameless attempting to kill his master. Sirrek then noticed H'Tar, who was using a device known as the fear engine to cause the hallucinations. Kelnacca drew his lightsaber, and he and the others fought members of the Nihil defending H'Tar. The Nihil soon retreated after receiving a transmission calling them to join a battle at^[13] the planet^[8] Eriadu, and several of them were crushed when Jedi Master Keeve Trennis shot at the building from her Jedi Vector.^[13]

Dee then spoke with Trennis via comm unit and informed her of the transmission, suggesting that the battle on Eriadu could be a turning point in the conflict. Kelnacca spoke in Shyriiwook to offer an assessment of the situation, and Trennis asked who was with Dee, believing it was Arkoff,^[13] another Wookiee Jedi Master.^[7] Kelnacca responded to identify himself, and Trennis apologized, then stated her agreement with his assessment, noting that Naboo had suffered under the Nihil. She asked him to stay on the planet to coordinate the relief effort and ensure the Nihil had truly left, which Kelnacca agreed to. Trennis ordered Dee to remain as well, though she refused.^[13]

A sign of respect

In 227 BBY,^[9] in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Kelnacca spotted Vell looking at a hologram of Lulad, and noticed that Lulad had similar tattoos to Vell, and asked him about her. Vell explained that it was a tradition on his home planet for one to wear the name of their greatest teacher on their skin as a sign of respect. He further explained that after Vell had gotten Lulad's name tattooed on his head, Lulad had decided to be tattooed with Vell's name, as she believed a Jedi's greatest lessons came from those they taught. Kelnacca did not respond to what Vell had told him, but Vell knew he did not need to.^[3]

In the final year of Vell's training, Kelnacca and Vell assisted the child Yesula and her father on the Outer Rim astronomical object Veek, where their home had caught fire. After they both used the Force to protect the father and child from the fire, Kelnacca stayed in the burning home until Vell had also safely left. After Kelnacca emerged, Vell learned that the droid Zeekay, who had holos of Yesula's mother, was still inside. Vell reentered the burning home and rescued the droid, after which the father thanked him. Vell subsequently apologized to Kelnacca for rescuing the droid, but Kelnacca responded by igniting his lightsaber and cutting Vell's Padawan braid, knighting him. Kelnacca then asked to be tattooed with Vell's name in the same way that Lulad had.^[3]

Mission to Brendok

Investigating a vergence

In 148 BBY,^[15] Kelnacca was stationed on the planet Brendok with Jedi Master Indara; her Padawan, Torbin; and Jedi Knight Sol.^[16] There, the four Jedi investigated the life present on the planet, as it was thriving despite being catalogued as lifeless after a hyperspace disaster^[14] in 232 BBY.^[7] Seven weeks into the mission, Kelnacca cooked Nuna legs for the group, which Torbin complained about due to having already eaten them often during the mission. Indara warned him not to insult a Wookiee's cooking. The next day, Kelnacca continued using his detector to investigate Brendok, which the Jedi suspected contained a vergence in the Force.^[14]

Shortly after, Sol learned of a coven of witches led by Mother Aniseya, and became concerned that they were training children to use the Force, which the witches called the Thread. He spied on the coven, and noticed the twins Verosha "Osha" and Mae-ho "Mae" Aniseya, who often wandered outside of the witch's fortress. After Sol reported this to the other Jedi, they rode speeder bikes to the fortress, and Kelnacca sliced the controls to an elevator to grant the group access.^[14]

Interrupting a ceremony

The Jedi then entered the courtyard where the twins' Rite of Ascension ceremony, where they would become witches, was being held. Indara introduced the four Jedi, and stated their concerns about the witches training children against Republic law. The witches refuted Indara's claims, stating that Brendok was not part of the Republic, and that they had no children. However, after Kelnacca noticed the twins, Indara asked them to come out of the crowd. When Sol suggested that Osha be tested to train as a Jedi, she asked her mother for permission. In response, Aniseya incapacitated Torbin with a Thread ability, and threatened to not reverse the effects unless the Jedi left. However, she reluctantly agreed to allow her children to be tested. Following this, the Jedi exited the courtyard.^[16]

The next day, when Osha and Mae arrived at the Jedi's starship to be tested, Kelnacca was repairing a damaged speeder bike. While waiting for Mae to finish her testing, Osha approached Kelnacca, and he briefly spoke with her in Shyriiwook before she entered the starship. When she exited after completing her testing, Kelnacca was now performing other mechanical work. He noticed her and called out to her in Shyriiwook. In response, Osha^[14] half-heartedly^[17] smiled at him. That night, Kelnacca again made dinner for the group while they discussed the Jedi Council's refusal to allow them to bring the twins to Coruscant.^[14]

Confronting the coven

When Torbin reported the results of the twins' M-count test, Kelnacca gathered around him with Indara and Sol. After realizing the unusual results indicated the possiblity of the vergence the Jedi had been seeking, Torbin, against his Master's orders, took a speeder bike and headed to the fortress. Indara ordered Sol to pursue him on another bike, while she and Kelnacca followed on the Jedi's ship. As they approached, Indara was unable to land, and so got close enough for Kelnacca to jump, telling him to stop the other Jedi before they started a conflict.^[14]

Inside the fortress, Mae started a fire to kill Osha and prevent her from becoming a Jedi. Sol and Torbin confronted the witches, and after Sol killed Aniseya, they fought. During the fight, Kelnacca arrived, but he was possessed by the witches and attacked Torbin and Sol. He engaged them in a lightsaber duel, and during the fight, slammed Torbin into a wall, injuring his face. Sol was able to disarm Kelnacca, and then fought him in hand-to-hand combat. As Kelnacca attempted to strangle Sol, Indara arrived. She knocked Kelnacca away and was able to free him from the witches's power. Indara then ordered Sol to save the twins, but he was only able to save Osha. Kelnacca and the other Jedi then returned to Coruscant on their ship. After the fire, Osha became Sol's Padawan, although she later left the Order.^[18]

Paying respects

Around a century after the destruction of Starlight Beacon, Vell, who had since taken on his own Padawan, Ordea, was dying. Ordea was concerned about who would complete their training after Vell died, and so Vell told them of how Kelnacca had taken him on as a Padawan after his own master had died, and other stories of his training with Kelnacca. Just as Vell was about to tell Ordea about the tattoos Kelnacca received, Kelnacca arrived at Vell's location on the planet Tozil. Vell acknowledged his old master's presence and then died. Kelnacca then picked up his body and brought it outside, where he and Ordea burned it and held a funeral.^[3]

As they watched the flames, Ordea noticed Kelnacca's tattoos and after recalling what Vell had said about his own tattoos, realized their meaning. Ordea then began to ask if Kelnacca would complete their training, but stopped and apologized, telling Kelnacca it was not appropriate to ask him, as he had come to pay respect to Vell. However, Kelnacca responded by igniting his lightsaber, agreeing to Ordea's request. When Kelnacca asked if they were ready, Ordea ignited their own lightsaber and told their new master that they were.^[3]

Mae's quest

Exile

By 133 BBY,^[20] Kelnacca was stationed on the Outer Rim^[21] planet^[22] Khofar,^[21] where he lived in a shelter made from a wrecked starship wrapped around a tree.^[19] Kelnacca kept himself isolated from civilization and scrawled the symbol of the Ascension ceremony on every open surface within his shelter.^[4]

Sixteen years after the fire on Brendok,^[19] in 132 BBY,^[15] Osha's sister, Mae, now an assassin sought revenge against the four Jedi who had been on Brendok, and wanted to kill them to please her master,^[19] a Sith known as the Stranger,^[23] who she knew as the smuggler Qimir. When Mae requested a poison to use on Torbin from Qimir, he expressed doubts about her ability to kill Kelnacca, as she had already previously failed to kill Torbin, who was meditating during her attempt. Shortly after, Osha, who was assisting the investigation into Indara and Torbin's murders, told Sol about Kelnacca and the other Jedi that Mae was targeting. Later, Qimir informed Mae that he had located Kelnacca on Khofar.^[19]

On Khofar, Kelnacca encountered two scavengers outside his shelter. When one scavenger drew a blaster, Kelnacca Force pulled the blaster to himself and broke it in two with his hands. In response, the scavenger and^[19] his^[24] companion fled.^[19] Sometime later, Kelnacca again returned to his shelter with some plants, which he used to prepare a meal.^[21]

Death on Khofar

In the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, several Jedi, including Sol and Jedi Master Holden, met to discuss Mae's murders. Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh displayed holograms of Kelnacca, Torbin, and Indara, with the two who had been killed being displayed in red. She then ordered Jedi Master Holden to extract Kelnacca from his post on Khofar and to bring in Mae. Later, Sol convinced Rwoh to allow him to bring Osha with them to Khofar. Mae and Qimir, who had landed on Khofar, began searching for Kelnacca. While they walked, they discussed how Mae's previous murders had not pleased her master, and that she would have to kill Kelnacca without a weapon.^[21]

In hyperspace on the way to Khofar, Jedi Knight Yord Fandar briefed the others on the mission. Kelnacca had not been heard from in over a year, and had not responded to any of the warnings sent to him by the Jedi. They would use the Tynnan tracker Bazil to find Kelnacca. After landing, Padawan Jecki Lon spoke with locals, and learned that Kelnacca had ventured into the forest and never returned. Fandar then provided Bazil with a cloth, which he used to track Kelnacca. The others followed Bazil through the forest toward Kelnacca. Meanwhile, Mae had decided to stop her killings, and set a trap for Qimir. After he triggered it, she informed him she planned to surrender herself to Kelnacca, and left him hanging from a tree. When Mae arrived outside Kelnacca's shelter, she encountered Bazil, who alerted the Jedi to her presence. She ran and entered the shelter, where she found Kelnacca, who had already been killed by the Stranger.^[21]

Legacy

Shortly after, the Jedi arrived outside and attempted to arrest Mae, but the Stranger engaged them in a lightsaber duel.^[21] Seeing this, Mae took Kelnacca's lightsaber and then attempted to escape, but was attacked by Lon, who arrested her for the murder of Kelnacca and the other Jedi she had killed. Lon took Kelnacca's lightsaber from Mae, and later used it alongside her own while dueling the Stranger, although it was destroyed during the fight.^[26]

Later, Sol, Mae, Osha, and the Stranger all traveled to Brendok. During a confrontation in the witches' fortress, Osha sided with the Stranger and killed Sol. As part of her investigation, Rwoh pursued them there, and after arriving, heard echos of words that were spoken in the courtyard sixteen years earlier, including Kelnacca roaring and Sol shouting at him. After, Rwoh claimed to a committee of senators that the Jedi sent to Brendok, including Kelnacca, had started a conflict with the witches that resulted in many causalities, and had conspired to cover it up. She further lied that Sol had killed the other Jedi to maintain the cover story when the truth threatened to come out. She then told the senators that Sol was now dead after presumably taking his own life, and assured them than an external review of the Order was not necessary.^[25]

Personality and traits

Kelnacca was a Wookiee with brown hair and gray eyes. He had tattoos on the top of his head, which had Vell's name written in runes in the language of his ancestors.^[3] He stood 2.29 meters^[4] (7.5 feet) tall.^[5] Kelnacca only spoke when necessary, and often remained silent. Vell considered him to be brave and powerful.^[3] He was also stoic and wise.^[27] Lourna Dee described him as "good-looking"^[10]

Powers and abilities

As a Jedi who had been granted the rank of Master, Kelnacca was Force-sensitive. He used the Force to help move debris and to protect others from a fire.^[3] He used a mind trick to have two members of the Nihil shoot each other.^[10] He also used the Force to pull a blaster from a scavenger's hands and broke it in two with his bare hands.^[19] Moreover, he was physically strong enough to kick a hole in a stone wall.^[14] Kelnacca was skilled with technology, able to slice a door^[14] and perform mechanical work.^[16] He cooked food for the other Jedi on Brendok,^[14] as well as for himself on Khofar.^[16] Though a Jedi, he could not protect his thoughts and was possessed by the Brendok coven, when they used their dark magic to make him turn on his own. He was a skilled swordsman, able to—while being controlled by the Brendok coven—dominate Sol and Torbin in melee combat with his bladework and greater physical strength. His Force pushes sent them tumbling and he could make great bounds with the Force.^[14]

Equipment

Kelnacca wielded a green-bladed lightsaber which had distinct wear from many years of use,^[28] and wore brown and gold Jedi robes. On Brendok, he used a detector while investigating the possibility of a vergence.^[14] On Khofar, he wore a bag in which he stored plants.^[19]

Behind the scenes

Milestones

Kelnacca was created for the 2024 Disney+ live-action series The Acolyte^[29] and first appeared in "Revenge / Justice," the second episode of the series,^[19] which aired on June 4, 2024.^[30] The character was first revealed at Star Wars Celebration Europe on April 7, 2023, where he was introduced on stage by showrunner Leslye Headland at the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase^[29] and appeared in a Celebration-exclusive trailer.^[31] Kelnacca was portrayed by Joonas Suotamo, who previously played the Wookiee Chewbacca in the sequel trilogy and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Suotamo expressed his excitement about playing a Jedi at the Celebration, saying he had wanted to be a Jedi since he was a kid.^[29] On May 29, 2024, items based on characters from The Acolyte, including hairstyle and beard customizations inspired by Kelnacca, were added to the Electronic Arts massively multiplayer online roleplaying game Star Wars: The Old Republic^[32]

In early versions of the story, Kelnacca was hiding on Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld. It was changed to Khofar in order to explore new areas of the galaxy.^[22] An early draft for the episode "Day" was going to show Kelnacca's fight against "The Master" and his death scene, but this had to be changed due to budgetary issues and story problems, such as Kelnacca's scene breaking the point of view from the protagonist in a way writer Claire Kiechel felt to not work well.^[33]

The campfire scene on Brendok was shot at Pinewood Studios^[34] in the United Kingdom,^[35] and other scenes on Brendok were shot in Wales. The entrance to the Brendok fortress was shot at Upper Neuadd Reservoir and Dam in Wales, and interior shots were filmed at Shinfield Studios,^[34] England.^[36] Interior shots of Kelnacca's shelter and the Jedi's transport ship were also shot at Shinfield Studios.^[37] The site of the Jedi ship^[38] and the locations where the Jedi explored and catalogued Brendok^[35] were also filmed at Upper Neuadd Reservoir.^[35][38]

Creator thoughts

Headland believed that Kelnacca was the only Jedi who was blameless in the situation, and that he deserved a "pass", but did not think he would give himself one. She said that Kelnacca did not forgive himself, which was part of the reason he went into isolation.^[40] Suotamo said that although it was up to interpretation, he believed that Kelnacca fought back against his attacker before being killed. He also believed that Kelnacca felt like an outsider and did not completely belong with other Jedi. Suotamo added he thought that because Kelnacca was an outsider, it made his choice to go into seclusion easier. Headland did not tell Suotamo about Kelnacca's fate when she first explained the role to him. Suotamo was surprised when he later learned of his death, but felt that it was necessary for the story and was both sad and dramatic.^[39]

At first, Headland did not think she would be allowed to have a Wookiee Jedi, but she kept pitching the idea and special effects artist Neal Scanlan loved the idea. Another reason Headland pushed for Kelnacca's design was because she "couldn't resist" the opportunity to be on set with a Wookiee. Headland's wife, Rebecca Henderson,^[41] who portrayed Vernestra Rwoh,^[42] was scared of Kelnacca, which Headland thought was funny.^[41]

Portrayal

Although other Wookiee Jedi, such as Burryaga, have appeared in High Republic era media, Kelnacca was the first to appear in live-action. Headland said she thought it would be "cool" to do her own version of a Wookiee Jedi. She was also inspired by Suotamo's performance as Chewbacca in Solo, saying that she wanted to see him do fighting and action work as a Jedi, and not just be a sidekick.^[41]

Suotamo deliberately tried to differentiate his performance as Kelnacca from Chewbacca, as even though both characters are Wookiees, they are very different. He said that there was "more to" being a Jedi, and it was a challenge. He enjoyed preparing and training for his role with his castmates, and said that they had a lot of time to think about each situation and moment.^[41] While filming^[39] the 2017 sequel trilogy film^[43] Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi,^[39] director^[43] Rian Johnson recommended Suotamo study the silent film actors Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to learn how to show what his character was thinking. Suotamo tried to use what he learned from that while portraying Kelnacca.^[39]

Suotamo was excited to test himself and see the lengths he could go to in his role. He considered how Kelnacca behaved, how he carried himself, and what he learned during his time training as a Jedi while preparing for his role.^[42] Suotamo explained that while both Chewbacca and Kelnacca were devoted and loyal, as while as relaxed, Kelnacca had a sense of duty to the Jedi way that Chewbacca did not.^[3] He also described Kelnacca as "proud"^[39] and a "noble being", who tried to walk a certain way and keep himself centered.^[3] Suotamo compared Kelnacca to a samurai master^[39] and also channeled the character Mufasa from^[3] the 1994 animated film^[44] The Lion King to strike a balance between esteemed Jedi grandeur and natural ferocity.^[3]

Fight sequence

Suotamo was ecstatic to use a lightsaber and perform Kelnacca's fight sequence,^[45] which he described as "thrilling".^[46] Suotamo did all his stunts himself as no one else could fit inside the suit.^[40] The stunt team helped him learn the basic moves needed to execute the scene. Suotamo said that the leap may have been one of his favorites shots of all time. He added that he did not think he was going to be able to pull it off, and that he had to first fail multiple times and then improve once he saw how it looked.^[3] The jump took about two hours to film and around fifteen to twenty takes. Because of the extensive number of takes, Suotamo and the crew knew that everything had worked on the final take. Suotamo wore a stunt harness and had a different number of attachments for different moves. For the leap, he had two or three wire attachments, which the crew used to lift and rotate him. ^[46]

Action Director Christopher Clark Cowan had fun figuring out the fight sequence, but also described it as tricky. He took into account the sheer strength that a Wookiee would have in their strikes, saying that it mean a straight clash with a Wookiee would "knock you off balance". Cowan added that because the witches were inside Kelnacca's mind and drawing out his primal instincts, he would be swinging wildly and not have immaculate form. Cowan also wanted Kelnacca to be wild and animalistic during the fight.^[45] During the fight, he tried to strike a balance between Kelnacca's refined and well-trained posture and the aggressiveness he would have from not being in control.^[3] Suotamo initially had Kelnacca hesitate to fight against the other Jedi, and then ended up channelling his full rage toward them.^[46] The fight sequence was directed by Cowan and Kogonada, the episode's director. Headland was not on set during the filming of the fight, which she regretted.^[40]

Suotamo enjoys fight scenes, and his goal is to make them look smooth and as a natural as possible. He also factored in the intent and emotions Wookiees have, and assumed them in his mentality when approaching the scene. He worked with stunt coordinator Mark Ginther and fight coordinator Guillermo Grispo for the scene. Cowan had a vision for the scene, which Suotamo found easy to execute because of the instructions and feedback he was give. He also praised the entire stunt team for helping with the performance. Suotamo worked closely with Lee Jung-jae and Dean-Charles Chapman, who portrayed Sol and Torbin, respectively, for the scene. They rehearsed the scene for several weeks, and Suotamo found it to be the most demanding part of the shoot. When filming, the set was busy and the ground had gravel that was not present during rehearsals, which they needed to adapt to. For the scene when Indara tackled Kelnacca, Suotamo and Indara's stunt person Katie McDonnell rehearsed for a long time to verify they would get the leg grab and fall correct. Suotamo thought that McDonnell did a "phenomenal job" on the tackle. When Kelnacca returned to his senses, Suotamo wanted to convey that he was in a dark place and not himself, but that everything cleared up and became serene for him again. He thought Kogonada really liked his performance for that moment.^[46]

The scene was filmed in a warehouse at Arborfield Film Studios, which was an old military base in the United Kingdom. Suotamo began preparing for the scene with a stunt boot camp about one to two months before filming. He began with lightsaber choreography, starting with light warmups before moving to bigger moves. He explained that while working on major moves, he got better at the basics. Suotamo noted that while his lightsaber's hilt did not weigh much, the blade was much heavier. He credited his experience as a basketball player for giving him a basic foundation for the stunt work, noting it helped him with the ability to command his body to do the required movements relatively quickly, as well as with the jump. When Kelnacca kicked through a stone wall, only one take could be done, so there was pressure on Suotamo. However, he found the scene fun and described the way the wall broke as "beautiful". He also enjoyed the scene in which Kelnacca threw Torbin and pinned him to a wall. The scene also involved wire work, as Suotamo could not lift Chapman with only one hand.^[46]

Costume and design

Like other characters in The Acolyte, Kelnacca came from his design first. Headland loved the idea of a Wookiee with the sides of his head shaved, which was the design that became Kelnacca. Although he was partially inspired by other Wookiee Jedi such as Burryaga, Headland gave Kelnacca a "very different character design".^[41] Creature & droid FX creative supervisor Neal Scanlan and his team, who had previously worked on Chewbacca, also worked on Kelnacca. Because he is a Jedi, they gave Kelnacca a more stately appearance, as well as more refined features to allow for more emotional responses. He was designed to be more refined than previous Wookiees. He was given a more articulate mouth and discreet color choices to contour the pattern of his facial fur, which both allow for more accentuated emotions. Kelnacca's Jedi robes were specially made by costume designer Jennifer Bryan and her team.^[47]

The creature department worked on making Suotamo's costume more breathable to allow for the tremendous physicality needed for Kelnacca's fight scene.^[45] Unlike Chewbacca, who had multiple suits, Kelnacca only had one suit,^[48] which was made from lycra with knotted in^[46] Yak hair. Because of this, there was always a team on set to keep the suit looking beautiful. Typically, there were two stylists working on it at a time, one on each side. To keep the curls looking consistent, everyone that worked on them was trained to do them in the same way.^[48] Days on set usually lasted around ten hours, and Suotamo tried to go the full day without removing the suit, although he usually had to remove it once a day. However, Suotamo felt that the suit was not that complicated and was fairly easy for him to take off.^[39]

For most scenes, Suotamo wore hair covered boots, which included details such as toenails. For stunts, he used special shoes, which were less detailed and were essentially sneakers covered in hair. A separate stunt mask was also used for hits and falls that involved closeups to avoid damaging the intricate facial servos inside the main mask. However, the majority of the costume was the same for stunt scenes, and only the shoes and mask were changed.^[46]

Comics

Kelnacca also appeared in The Acolyte - Kelnacca 1, a one-shot comic which released on September 4, 2024 and was written by Cavan Scott with art by Marika Cresta. In an interview, Scott said that he was excited to connect The Acolyte with previous High Republic media, and that Kelnacca was the perfect character to do so. He also revealed that the comic would explain the meaning behind Kelnacca's mysterious tattoos.^[27] Suotamo was instrumental in helping Scott and the creative team understand Kelnacca. During an early brainstorming call for the comic, Suotamo offered input on Kelnacca's character and what he embodies. He also explained to the team how he portrayed Kelnacca, and the similarities and differences between his portrayals of Chewbacca and Kelnacca.^[3]

Kelnacca also appears in Scott's 2025 series Star Wars: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project's Phase III. In an interview, Scott explained that although he was aware of Kelnacca's fate in The Acolyte, it did not factor in much to how he fleshed out the character's backstory. Scott also said that Kelnacca was fun to write.^[49] Phil Noto's cover of the first issue,^[10] which released on February 19, 2025,^[50] depicts Kelnacca with his tattoos.^[10] However, Kelnacca did not receive his tattoos until after Yarzion Vell was knighted,^[3] and the comic depicts Vell as still being Kelnacca's Padawan. The rest of the issue correctly depicts him without his tattoos.^[10]

Appearances

• The High Republic: Into the Light (and audiobook)
• The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi 1
• The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi 2
• The High Republic – The Finale: The Beacon 1
• The Acolyte — "Choice"
• The Acolyte — "Destiny"
• The Acolyte - Kelnacca 1
• The Acolyte — "Lost / Found" (Indirect mention only)
• The Acolyte — "Revenge / Justice" (First appearance)
• The Acolyte — "Day"
• The Acolyte — "Night" (Appears as a corpse)
• The Acolyte — "The Acolyte" (Voice only)

Sources

Notes and references

External links

• How The Acolyte brought the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca to life on screen by Ross, Dalton on Entertainment Weekly (July 20, 2023) (backup link archived on February 20, 2024)
• Star Wars' New Wookiee Jedi Is Getting His Own Marvel Comic by Lussier, Germain on Gizmodo (May 31, 2024) (backup link archived on May 31, 2024)