C'baoth, Joruus

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  (Of the original) Bortras

• Species:
  Human

• Gender:
  Male

• Size:
  1.9 meters

• Weapon:
  Force lightning

• Affiliation:
  Jedi

• 

From the Expanded Universe

When Grand Admiral Thrawn began his campaign to retake the Core from the New Republic, his master plan revolved around a trio of crucial discoveries: a cache of Spaarti cloning cylinders, a working cloaking shield, and the insane Dark Jedi clone, Joruus C'baoth.

It is not yet known how the Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth came to be cloned. The tell-tale side effects of mental instability and self-name mispronunciation indicate Joruus was the result of hasty Spaarti-based cloning. The last known whereabouts of the real Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth was aboard the ill-fated Outbound Flight mission to explore regions beyond the Republic's borders.

The original Jorus C'baoth was a well-regarded Jedi. Originally from Bortras, a world in the Reithcas sector, he added to his Jedi studies with an education from Mirnic University. After assuming the title of Jedi Master, C'baoth served the Republic by overseeing the demilitarization of the aggressive Aqualish. He helped settle an ascendency contention on Alderaan; C'baoth's delegation decreed that the Organa bloodline was the rightful heir to the viceroy title. The Jedi negotiated treaties between warring aliens, and was also a personal advisor to Senator Palpatine on Jedi-related matters.

Thrawn found the cloned C'baoth protecting the Emperor's secret storehouse on the planet Wayland. Clone madness made it difficult to decipher the truth behind C'baoth's origins. He maintained that he had killed the Guardian of the Emperor's vaults, and took his place ruling over the natives of Wayland. It is likely that C'baoth was the original Guardian, and the epic battle he recounted was but a product of his delusions.

Thrawn needed C'baoth to coordinate his military forces in much the same way Emperor Palpatine consolidated the fighting spirits of his followers through the Force. C'baoth was hesitant to join Thrawn's forces, but the crafty Grand Admiral promised him more Jedi to train -- namely, Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia Organa Solo. The Empire would capture and deliver the Force-strong Jedi siblings for C'baoth to mold and train as he saw fit.

C'baoth differed from Thrawn in his perceptions of power. While the Empire sought to exert control over distant worlds, C'baoth was content to rule over Wayland. He believed true power was enforcing his will over the citizenry he faced every day, and not governing remote and faceless planets. As Thrawn's repeated victories over the New Republic strengthened the Empire, C'baoth's ambitions grew. He would soon have dark and twisted designs of ruling over a revitalized Empire as Palpatine once had.

C'baoth was very powerful in the dark side of the Force. He could create deadly blue-white lightning from his fingertips, though his preferred use of his powers was imposing his will over others. In his service to Thrawn, C'baoth enhanced the coordination of the Imperial fighting forces, but that was just the start of his influential abilities. When desired, C'baoth could completely subjugate a victim's mind, forcing them to do his bidding.

Luke Skywalker heard rumors of C'baoth's reappearance, and followed these carefully planted leads to Jomark. Skywalker sought out a Jedi Master of old to supplement his training, but upon spending time with C'baoth, he recognized the elder Jedi's madness. The compassionate Skywalker thought he could heal C'baoth, bringing him back from the darkness of insanity. The clone's mental instabilities were too deep-rooted, and Skywalker was forced to flee C'baoth.

C'baoth grew increasingly frustrated with Thrawn's inabilities to deliver him a new Jedi apprentice. Once Thrawn had all his pieces in place for a push against Coruscant, the insane Jedi made his move. He returned to Mount Tantiss on Wayland, and killed the Imperial officer in charge of the new cloning operation there. C'baoth holed himself up in the storehouse. The clones generated by Thrawn were based on approximately 20 templates. This meant that C'baoth needed to learn to control only those 20 minds to be in command of his own army.

At this time, the New Republic had discovered Thrawn's cloning operation, and a strike team infiltrated Mount Tantiss. The team included Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, whom C'baoth saw as prospective students. When C'baoth realized he could not turn Luke to the dark side, he unleashed a terrible and twisted weapon: a clone of Luke Skywalker. C'baoth had ordered the clone grown from a sample of Skywalker's genetic material kept in the Mount Tantiss storehouse. Luke faced his mindless doppelganger, but it was Mara Jade who eventually killed Luuke Skywalker.

After the clone fell in combat, C'baoth let go of whatever tenuous grip he had on reality and self-control. His rage overtook him, charged by the dark side of the Force. A whirling tempest of anger and the Force, C'baoth dropped his guard, and Mara Jade struck him down.

Joruus C'baoth was a tall, lean and muscular man with unkempt gray hair and a long beard. He spoke in a powerful, baritone voice and had a surprisingly regal air to him despite his readily apparent madness.

Behind the Scenes

In the story outline phase of developing Heir to the Empire, author Timothy Zahn first envisioned Joruus C'baoth to be an insane clone of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a remnant of the Clone Wars. When this direction was disapproved by Lucasfilm Ltd., Zahn created the character of C'baoth.