My analysis and spotlight on Kyp Durron will draw from the following sources: The Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson, the Jedi Academy Sourcebook from West End Games, the New Essential Guide to Characters, The New Jedi Order Sourcebook from Wizards of the Coast, Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force, the New Essential Chronology and the novel Dark Journey by Elaine Cunningham.
Kyp Durron was born in 7 B.B.Y on the planet Deyer, a colony world in the Anoat system. Kyp was close to his family, though he seemed to be closest with his brother Zeth. Zeth had dreams of attending Deyers engineering school while Kyp was quite content with his simple life on one of the planets raft cities that floated upon the lakes.
Kyp’s parents were not supportive of the Galactic Empire that had usurped the Galactic Republic in 19 B.B.Y and had become the authoritarian government in the galaxy. Dreyer was largely ignored by the Empire, though the Durron’s did think that Emperor Palpatine could be convinced that action on their world was necessary. However, in 0 A.B.Y., after the Empire had used the Death Star to destroy the pacifist world of Alderaan, outrage emerged throughout the galaxy. Many colonists on Deyer, including the Durron’s spoke up against Palpatine and demanded that he dismantle the Empire. Palpatine’s response came in the form of repression. Imperial stormtroopers invaded and the water world became invaded with the Imperial presence.
One evening, stormtroopers broke into the Durron home with an arrest warrant against Kyp’s parents. All of the Durrons were taken to into Imperial custody. Zeth though, was far too old to be conscripted was taken to Carida to be trained as a stormtrooper. Kyp and his parents were forced to hard labor.
The Spice Mines of Kessel were a dangerous and dark place. The prisoners were forced to go deep in the planet and attempt to extract a mineral called glitterstim, a euphoria inducing drug. Around 5 A.B.Y, a prison revolt took place which resulted in the execution of Kyp’s parents. The young orphan soon encountered and bonded with an eldery woman who worked in the mines named Vima-Da-Boda. Vima explained to Kyp that she had the ability to manipulate an energy field known as the Force. Learning of his Force sensitivity, Kyp began to listen to the woman teach him. Kyp soon began to use the Force in poor ways by using mind tricks to take advantage of certain situations. The Imperials soon took Vima away which left Kyp without a teacher.
In 11 A.B.Y, Kyp met two new captives whom he felt could give him news of the outside world. The two captives were Han Solo and the Wookie, Chewbacca. Han informed Kyp of the defeat of the Emperor in the Battle of Endor. He would also explain that they had been captured and forced to work in the mines. Kyp would form a bond with Solo and the Wookie and were able to escape the Spice Mines with Kyp. The
escape involved the capture of the superweapon Sun Crusher.
When returning to Coruscant, Han introduced Kyp to his brother-in-law, Luke Skywalker. Luke had been working to establish a Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV where he could train the next generation of Jedi Knights. Luke returned to Yavin IV and told Kyp that he could join when he was ready to do so. Kyp would stay with the Solos and would begin to bond with Han. Han was saddened when Kyp informed him he was ready to begin his Jedi Training on Yavin IV, though he ended up going with Wedge Antillies which also included the Sun Crusher being driven into the Yavin gas giant to make sure that no one could access it again.
Durron began to aquint well with the other students at the Praxeum and began to feel contempt with his new life with the Jedi. Durron was progressing very quickly which required Luke to spend a majority of his time with Kyp while one of the more experienced students Kam Slusar led the other students in lessons. Kyp had far out done his peers, and he soon began to keep to himself though he did form a friendship with Dorsk 81. Luke had encouraged Kyp to meditate on his current knowledge and try to rush to learn more of it. This led Kyp to believe he was being restrained.
One evening, Kyp detected a foreign presence in his quarters. It was an apparition that encouraged Kyp to abandon the teachings of Skywalker and unlock new powers and abilities. The figure revealed himself to be Exar Kun, and long dead Dark Lord of the Sith.
Under the influence of the ancient Sith Lord, Kyp allowed his abilities to be augmented by Kun to use the Force to pull the Sun crusher free from the Gas Giant. Kyp guided the vessel to land by the temples summit. Luke Skywalker soon emerged and condemned Kyp’s actions and begged him to rebuke the dark side of the Force. Kyp criticized Luke’s teachings and prepared to attack the Jedi Master.
Together with Exar Kun, Kyp was able to overwhelm the Jedi Master and left him in a comatose state. Kyp boarded the Sun Crusher and traveled to Carida to liberate his brother Zeth. Guided by Kun’s spirit, Kyp took the Sun Crusher and shot a torpedo into each star that cause it to go supernova. Natassi Daala ordered the Imperial Star Destroyers to retreat. As they did, the seven stars exploded sending a shockwave that was so strong that it annihilated scores of TIE Fighters. Thinking Daala’s star destroyer was also destroyed as well, Kyp left one of the Sun Crusher’s escape pods behind with a message stating that it was he that caused the explosion and he also left an explanation for his actions.
Soon after, Kyp arrived on the Carida system, attempting to find his brother Zeth. Enraged at the claim that his brother was dead, Kyp shot one of his torpedoes in the the heart of the system and then waited while the Imperials attempted to evacuate the planet. While Kyp’s brother did not survive as the planet was destroyed, the destruction sent a massive shockwave sent a massive disturbance in the Force. Kyp still felt grief, and after a spat with Lando Calrissian and Han Solo, the spirit of Exar Kun vanished as he was defeated on Yavin IV. Kyp then surrendered to Solo.
Kyp was ashamed of what he had done as he was turned into the New Republic forces, though he stated that he would accept whatever consequences were given out. Solo did defend Kyp when it was suggested that Kyp be executed. The matter was ultimately left to Master Skywalker as decided by the Chief of State. Han took Kyp to Yavin IV, where he greeted his family while Kyp waited for Luke. Luke confirmed that Exar Kun was gone. He also told Kyp that if his training was to continue, he needed to determine whether Kyp had let fear and anger consume him or had left himself be open to redemption. Kyp tearfully responded that he wanted to rebuke the dark side and be a Jedi.
Kyp was very cautious when he resumed his training and often wished he had not been born with a connection to the Force. He was looking for absolution. Although he was cautious, he became of Luke’s best students. Kyp would eventually become one of the first Jedi Masters of the New Jedi Order.
“With the Force as our ally and lightsabers as our tools, we’ll destroy the Yuuzhan Vong.”
– Kyp Durron
When, in 20 A.B.Y, the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the known galaxy, Kyp was one of the first to encounter this new threat, losing his own apprentice, Miko Reglia in the war along with many other fellow Jedi. The actions of the Yuuzhan Vong convinced Kyp that aggressive action had to be taken when dealing with them. This mindset created a rift in the Jedi Order, with Kyp leading like-minded Jedi in war, against the wishes of Luke, who did not want to go down a route that could lead to the dark side of the Force, something Luke hoped Kyp would understand. Most adult Jedi sided with Kyp, while the younger generations sided with Skywalker.
Awhile into the war, Kyp had offered to train Jaina Solo further in the Force, Jaina agreed to put some thought into the request. She did eventually agree to apprentice herself to Kyp, however she lost much respect for him when he tricked her in destroying a Yuuzhan Vong worldship that he claimed was a gravitic superweapon. This action caused many to view Kyp as unstable.
After the Battle of Coruscant, Kyp watched Jaina Solo come close to falling to the dark side after her brother Anakin Solo sacrificed himself. Kyp now realized that his aggressive tactics were very dangerous. Jaina was able to bring herself away from the edge of darkness and re-apprenticed herself to him. Leia Organa Solo warned him that if he hurt Jaina again, the Vong would be the least of his worries. He became a much more stable person and gained a much greater acceptance among the Jedi.
Kyp was soon appointed to the Jedi High Council was able to resolve and reconcile his differences with Luke Skywalker. At the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Kyp, Leia, Han Judder Page, Meloque and Wraw worked on Calula while the Galactic Alliance fought at Dac and Alpha Red destroyed every living Yuuzhan Vong on the planet.
By the Dark Nest Crisis, Kyp was on the Masters' Council. However, he was once again at odds with the other Jedi. Though he no longer opposed Luke Skywalker, he was, along with Mara Jade Skywalker, a leader of the faction which felt the Jedi had a duty to the galaxy at large before the Galactic Alliance. This stance was reminiscent of Revan during the Mandalorian Wars and Count Dooku's during the Clone Wars. This brought him into conflict with Corran Horn and Kenth Hamner, who felt that the Jedi were answerable to the Alliance. When Luke was out of contact on Woteba, Chief of State Cal Omas attempted to disorganize the Jedi by appointing Horn the Order's interim leader. Kyp refused to take part in it, saying that Luke Skywalker led the Jedi, and that there would be no peace in the galaxy as long as Cal Omas was Chief of State.
Kyp later found himself fighting the Galactic Alliance during the Second Galactic Civil War. Jacen Solo took control of the government, and as the Sith Lord, Darth Caedus, tried to impose the rule of the Sith on the galaxy. Kyp was one of the Jedi who suggested they make Jacen a master before it was revealed he was in fact a Sith Lord.
After Caedus was defeated by Jaina Solo, Natasi Daala herself became Chief of State and the Alliance entered a reformation. Daala exiled Luke Skywalker for not preventing Jacen’s fall to the dark side, and he was one of the Jedi that moved to remove Daala from power. Sadly, there is no more current data on Kyp Durron.
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