Depa Billaba

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Star Wars character
Depa Billaba

Portrayed by Dipika O'Neill Joti

Position Former Jedi Master\Council Member, Dark Jedi
Homeworld Coruscant
Species Chalactan (Star Wars)
Gender Female
Affiliation Jedi Order, Galactic Republic, Upland Liberation Front, Confederacy of Independent Systems

Jedi Depa Billaba was a Chalactan Jedi Master serving on the Jedi Council in the times leading up to and during the Clone Wars. She was a Padawan of Jedi Master Mace Windu. Windu rescued Billaba from space pirates that had killed her parents when she was six months old. She was discovered to be Force-Sensitive and brought before the Jedi Council. When she was old enough, Mace took her as his Padawan. Depa showed dedication to her homeworld of Chalacta by decorating the bridge of her nose with symbolic markings. During the Battle of Geonosis, she looked after the younglings in the Jedi Temple, but during the battle off geonosis she dropped a bomb, this was the first sign of her falling to the dark side. As a master lightsaber duelist, Depa mastered Form VII lightsaber combat, one of three Jedi in the Order to do so. Vaapad took great strength in the Force to master, and there was a risk of the user falling to the dark side. Although she seemed perfectly suited to use this form, Billaba fell to the dark side during the mission to the war-torn planet of Haruun Kal, and Mace Windu was sent to bring her back. As a result of an attempt to take her own life, she remained in a coma for the rest of the Clone Wars. She was replaced by Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Jedi Council. She carried a green lightsaber and a blue one. She was briefly seen in the Jedi Council Room in Episode One: The Phantom Menace and in Episode Two: Attack of the Clones. She was played by actress Dipka O'neil Joti. When Mace Windu and 212 other Jedi journeyed to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi, his apprentice Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Padmé Amidala from execution by the Separatists, Depa stayed at the Jedi Temple to safeguard the younglings while the other Jedi were away. Although she possessed considerable fighting prowess, Depa was chosen to stay at the Temple as she was one of the principal instructors of young Jedi clans, such as the Bear Clan.

Not long after the Battle of Geonosis, which marked the start of the Clone Wars, Depa was dispatched to Mace Windu's home planet of Haruun Kal to stop Separatist activity and possibly recruit Korunnai militia to aid the Republic. She became a leader of the Upland Liberation Front (ULF), along with Kar Vastor, but was tormented by nightmares and by the atrocities she had witnessed in the brutal jungle war. Though her nature seemed to be perfectly suited for this test, Billaba turned to the dark side of the Force in 21.5 BBY due to the horrific nature of the guerrilla war and the influence of Kar Vastor. Eventually, a message composed by Depa was delivered to Yoda and Mace Windu, who were quite concerned for Depa's condition.

Image of Depa Billaba