Shyla Varad

"I come from an ancient warrior tradition. That tradition will dismantle you."

―Shyla Varad^[2]

Shyla Varad was a Human Mandalorian female who hailed from the planet Mandalore,^[1] the cultural homeworld of the Mandalorian people, located in the galaxy's Outer Rim.^[3] Varad became renowned for her skill with both a pair of blades and a fibercord whip,^[4] using both in tandem on the battlefield to great effect. During the reign of the Galactic Empire, Varad found herself far from home and cut off from her people, but she continued to live by Mandalorian tradition and eventually took up arms against the Empire.^[1] Varad was obsessed with learning about the Death Watch after she learned of a hidden base that contained records of the group.^[5]

Personality and traits

Varad dispatches a trio of stormtroopers

"I will hunt my enemies, and when I find them, I will defeat them."

―Shyla Varad^[2]

Shyla Varad greatly admired the Mandalorian splinter group known as the Death Watch and sought to learn all she could about the group, to the point of obsession.^[5]

Equipment

"There is no substitute for an extreme targeted strike."

―Shyla Varad^[2]

Varad's remote detonators were mobile on tiny droid legs

Shyla Varad possessed a suit of traditional Mandalorian armor, comprised of a set of chrome-grey plates over a blue flight suit, in addition to a brown leather utility belt worn at her waist, and a light blue cape. Her armor was equipped with a whipcord launcher, and Varad owned a pair of vibroswords, along with a variety of smoke bombs and remote detonators.^[1]

Behind the scenes

The character of Shyla Varad was first introduced to the Star Wars universe in the "Jabba's Realm" expansion pack for the Star Wars: Imperial Assault strategy board game. Her appearance in in-game art depicts Varad in Mandalorian armor similar in appearance to the armor worn by Jango Fett during his later life, seen most notably in the second entry of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Varad also shares her surname with the Mandalorians of Clan Varad, introduced in the 2011 MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic.