Zard Zell

Zard Zell was a Mimbanese getaway pilot and mechanic for the crew of slicer Syreth Dunn in the Corporate Sector during the High Republic Era. His speeder was impounded by the Corporate Sector Authority and he was arrested and placed in a cell with other members of the crew on board the DTE-CSA-17 Calaboose prison ship Palwick in 132 BBY.

The crew was able to exploit a flaw in the prison ship's droid crew and caused it to exit hyperspace in the Carlac belt. Zell and the others then escaped in an escape pod, but were recaptured and placed in a holding cell in the Jedi Temple on the planet Coruscant.

Biography

Zard Zell was a Mimbanese expatriate who worked as part of the slicer Syreth Dunn's crew of thieves in the Corporate Sector, acting primarily as the group's getaway pilot and mechanic. However, before Zell had a chance to flex his skills, Corporate Sector Authority Corpos impounded his speeder and the Mimbanese was arrested. Due for processing by the Detention Task Force, he was placed on board the DTE-CSA-17 Calaboose prison ship Palwick^[1] in a cell with Dunn and several other members of the crew^[2] in 132 BBY.^[3]

When the meknek Verosha Aniseya was placed into the cell next to the crew, they were impressed by the rumor that she had killed a Jedi, which was unheard of among the prisoners. Dunn attempted to recruit her into a plan to escape the prison ship, but when she refused the slicer commenced the plan anyway.^[2] Hybroid crewmember Rott Mercer exploited a flaw in the starship's droid crew^[1] and deactivated the variable geometry droid pilots, causing the ship to exit hyperspace^[2] in the Carlac belt. The Shorwilt Tor Bez'lin^[1] then destroyed the warden droid and used its arm to open the cell holding Zell, Dunn and most of the crew, who piled together into an escape pod,^[2] leaving Aniseya and the incapacitated prisoner Melo Tolicus^[1] behind.^[2]

The crew's escape was short lived and they were captured and placed in a holding cell on the detainment level of the Jedi Temple on the planet Coruscant. Held behind a force field, Zell paced back and forth on the cell's bench while Dunn and Bez'lin yelled at the passing Jedi Master Sol that the group had not done anything and that the entire prison break had been Aniseya's idea. Sol then interrogated Tolicus, who had also been captured and placed in a separate cell, and learned the truth of Aniseya's involvement.^[2]

Personality and traits

Zard Zell was the least technically inclined member of Dunn's crew of lowlifes. He had black eyes and a tough reptilian hide with keratin scutes that had faded to brown and gray by the time of the prison break.^[1]

Equipment

While imprisoned, Zell wore a brown shawl, brown pants, a brown belt, and brown insulated driving gloves.^[1]

Behind the scenes

Zard Zell appeared in "Lost / Found,"^[2] the first episode of the television series Star Wars: The Acolyte, which aired June 4, 2024 on Disney+.^[4] The prison ship and Jedi Temple scenes were filmed at Shinfield Studios,^[5] England.^[6] The character was first identified in the 2025 reference book Star Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guide, which was written by Pablo Hidalgo.^[1]