The Traveler

This article is non-canon within the canon continuity. This article covers a subject from a Star Wars: Visions story that Lucasfilm declared is set in an alternate history within a reimagined galaxy.

The Traveler, nicknamed Fox and formerly known as Idzuna, was a Force-sensitive non-binary alien who lived in the time following the Sith rebellion. A musician and storyteller, the Traveler concealed their face with a white vulpine mask.

On the Outer Rim world Genbara, the Traveler met the wandering former Sith known as the Ronin, along with his droid, R5-D56. The Traveler opted to accompany the Ronin and his droid along the road upon which the wanderer was traveling, which led to the Osou spaceport. They parted ways after arriving at the spaceport, where the Traveler met a Gran guard who had previously witnessed the Ronin reveal himself to be a Sith after dueling a Sith bandit leader in a nearby village. The Traveler tracked down the Ronin, along with the Gran and several other bounty hunters.

Biography

Life and death on Rei'izu

The Traveler was a non-binary,^[2] Force-sensitive individual who lived in the time following the Sith rebellion and the subsequent reunification of rival lords into the revitalized Empire. At some point after that event, they were known as Idzuna and carried a scion's blade, marking them as the bloodline heir of a Jedi clan. As a Jedi, their master was the Jedi lord Hanrai. The rebellion had ended on the planet Rei'izu, and Hanrai believed there may still be Sith living on that world. As such, he sent Idzuna by themself to eliminate any remaining Sith presence that might be found there. Within Shinsui Temple, Idzuna instead found a child named Mirahi, the daughter of the dark lord who had led the rebellion and the witch whom he had betrayed. The Jedi could not bring themself to abandon or kill the child, and instead attempted to raise and mentor her in the black current and white flare of the Force. Due to their disappearance, Hanrai eventually told their parents that he had lost Idzuna.^[1]

For many years, Idzuna had attempted to nurture Mirahi's unique relationship with the kyber mirror of Shinsui Temple. However, Mirahi grew preoccupied with the mirror and what she could see and reach through it. When she proclaimed that she would end the Jedi and the princes, Idzuna sought to protect her from herself. They summoned the black current, intending to break the mirror, but Mirahi lashed out and inadvertently killed them.^[1]

Their accidental death was temporary; without meaning to, Mirahi restored and bound their ghost as the first Sith demon of her own creation. Afterward, their memories of their former life were unreliable. They became "the Traveler," a storyteller and musician who claimed to have seen and heard many things during their life.^[1]

Meeting the Ronin

Two decades after the rebellion, the Traveler was present on the Outer Rim Territories world of Genbara. The Traveler was seated in a copse of trees that surrounded the buried nose of a crashed starship, practicing their flute. As they played, the wandering former dark lord, no longer known by any name other than the Ronin, approached upon a road that passed by the Traveler's location. The Ronin was accompanied by his astromech droid, R5-D56, and he commented on the Traveler's playing, in response to the voice within his head. The Traveler responded, asking if the wanderer was headed for the nearby Osou spaceport. Though the Ronin had not intended to go to the spaceport, he resolved to share the journey with the Traveler, who hopped down from the rock to join him and the droid.^[1]

As the three of them walked, the Traveler offered to tell a story, noting the Ronin's lightsaber scabbards and attempting to get the wanderer to provide his name. He did not, and the storyteller turned to R5-D56, who gave his partner's name as Master Ronin; in turn, the Traveler bowed their head in thought before introducing themself as such. The group continued along the path, with the Traveler chatting to R5-D56 while the Ronin remained a step behind. Upon reaching a crossroads, they turned in the direction that led to the spaceport, followed by the astromech and the Ronin.^[1]

Confrontation at the spaceport

By the afternoon, the group had joined an impromptu caravan of vehicles and others on foot. The storyteller did not discourage the attention that the others in the caravan gave to them and their companions, telling stories to the various travelers. When the conversation changed to the supposed tales of the Sith dark lord and his witch, the latter of whom was said to be raising an army of the dead, attention drifted to the Traveler. The storyteller suggested that stories about the dead often held some truth, an answer that pleased some of the others.^[1]

As the caravan continued, it began to drift apart, with the remaining members running for Osou's gates as it began to rain. The Traveler opted to linger in the shelter of a nearby tree, observing the rain curiously before offering the Ronin some fruit they had been given by one of the women from the caravan. The Ronin was paranoid of whether the fruit was poisoned, and the Traveler chided him, informing the wanderer of its origin. Noticing the Ronin's silence, the Traveler asked if they had been insufficiently dramatic; they once more noted his weapon and its illegal nature, warning him to be careful when they reached the spaceport. The rain soon stopped, and the trio ventured on to Osou spaceport, where the Traveler parted ways with the Ronin, finding both the local cantina and teahouse vying for their services.^[1]

At the cantina, however, the Traveler met a Gran guard, who made claims about the presence of a Sith in a village to the south, the direction from which the Ronin had come—the former Sith had dueled and defeated the Sith bandit Kouru there. The Traveler, deducing that the Ronin would have ordinarily mentioned such a remarkable event, sought out their former traveling companion, recounting what the Gran had told them. The Ronin asked whether their words were a warning, and the Traveler said it was only a warning if the former Sith needed one; however, it came too late, for the Ronin was confronted by the Gran and several other bounty hunters. The Ronin made an escape, but was subsequently attacked by Kouru, who had been revived after their duel.^[1]

Personality and traits

A non-binary individual, the Traveler had solid white eyes and white hair that they wore in a knot at the back of their head. They were not human and the Ronin was unable to name their species. While he was attempting to determine if he recognized the Traveler, perceived them to be old enough that he would have expected to know them, had they been a fellow Sith.^[1]

After the former Sith chose not to provide his identity, being named the Ronin by R5-D56, the Traveler likewise identified themself with a similar name. They were nicknamed "Fox" by their crewmates on the Poor Crow. When Chie and Hanrai addressed them as Idzuna, the name they bore in life, they would flinch,^[1] as it was no longer a name the Traveler was comfortable being addressed as without permission.^[3]

Despite their face being hidden behind their mask, the Traveler's voice was lively upon first meeting the Ronin, and their tone smiled. They spoke with the fluid cant of a storyteller, telling tales with a bright and compelling voice and taking the opportunity to do so upon encountering a caravan while traveling with the Ronin. As they imparted knowledge to the caravan on the road to Osou spaceport, they spoke knowing that they would be listened to.^[1]

The Traveler was intrigued by the Ronin, as well as the wanderer's styling as a warrior and the lightsaber and scabbard that he carried. When the Traveler confronted the Ronin after learning of his true nature, they frowned behind their mask, giving the former Sith an implied warning; however, the Ronin did not sense any particular enmity in the Traveler, but instead only a trace of curiosity and a degree of focus.^[1]

Powers and abilities

The Traveler had a notable gift for the black current of the Force; by the time the Ronin met them, their presence was almost entirely of the current rather than the white flare of the Force. They were skilled at shrouding themself and other beings from the notice of another.^[1]

Equipment

The Traveler wore a wooden white vulpine mask with red slashes at the mouth and brows, concealing their face. They sported simple clothing that consisted of a kimono over trousers, both of which were white but had a faded appearance that hinted at once having held color. The Traveler also had a wrap thrown over their shoulder in which they could store items, such as the flute that they played.^[1]

Behind the scenes

The Traveler appeared in the 2021 novel Ronin: A Visions Novel, written by Emma Mieko Candon as a tie-in to the Star Wars: Visions short film "The Duel."^[1] They were revealed in an excerpt for the novel released by Penguin Random House.^[5]

Via Tumblr, Candon confirmed that the Traveler is nonbinary.^[2] The German translation of the Ronin novel employs male pronouns for the Traveler, which the author interpreted as a depiction of the character as a transgender man.^[6]

Candon also addressed the topic of the Traveler's species, stating that their species intentionally was not revealed. After considering some possibilities on the Star Wars fan wiki Wookieepedia, Candon decided that leaving the character's species ambiguous would play well into their characterization and dynamic with the Ronin.^[7] On Twitter, Candon commented on a piece of fan art depicting the Traveler, calling it "perfect."^[8]

The author additionally revealed that the character was inspired by foxes in Japanese culture, as well as komusō, flute-playing mendicant monks, some of whom were samurai or rōnin in disguise. The Traveler's previous name "Idzuna" was created based a name of friend of Candon's who has a "deep adoration for what the Jedi could be",^[9] being unrelated to Idzuna as an alternate name for the fox deity Inari Ōkami.^[10]

Appearances

• Ronin: A Visions Novel (and audiobook) (First appearance)

Notes and references