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Character page for the Nihil in the High Republic era, set 250 years before the Battle of Yavin.

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The Nihil

The Eye of the Nihil

A group of marauders who plagued the Outer Rim Territories during the High Republic Era. Due to having access to mysterious routes known as "Paths" that defied conventional hyperspace logic, the Nihil emerged as a significant threat to the Republic and Jedi Order during a time of galactic expansion. They were headquartered in the Great Hall of the Nihil, a space station within No-Space that was only accessible through the Paths. The Eye of the Nihil operated from the Gaze Electric, a massive warship and palace.

In General

Anarchy Is Chaos: Described as �anarchistic� by promotional material, their guiding principle is �do whatever you want�, and what they want is to kill people and steal things.
Bullying a Dragon: The Nihil have made the monumental mistake of directly challenging both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, making a point of continually targeting and antagonizing the latter. Exactly how badly this backfires on them has yet to be revealed, but considering the fact that they are completely defunct by the time of the Galactic Empire...
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: The Nihil are entirely different from any other major enemies in Star Wars to date. They're not Force-wielders like the various Darksiders, they're not religious fanatics like the Sith cultists, they're not an enemy nation, and they're not even high-level criminals like the Hutts or the Shadow Collective. They are basically just a random band of marauders who lucked into a huge technological advantage. Even then, it's repeatedly made clear that the only reason they are a real threat to the Republic is because it's an unprecedented era of peace and there's barely any military presence in the Galaxy. However, they become even more dangerous once they have control of Eldritch Abominations that specifically prey on Force users and develop fleet-destroying hyperspace mines, and effectively take control of the Outer Rim by destroying Starlight Beacon and using the mines to lock the Republic out of much of it.
Child Soldiers: The Nihil sometimes influence children into joining their ranks, as evidenced by Nan and Krix.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Anyone can join the Nihil so long as they are ruthless enough to survive and carry out heinous crimes.
Evil Is Not a Toy: During the events surrounding the Republic Fair on Valo, the Nihil try to capitalize on the Drengir threat as a distraction for the Jedi, even planting their seeds in key locations such as Crashpoint Tower on Valo and Mulita and promising some of these Drengir "meat" to feed on in the process. Unfortunately, this hasn't stopped the Drengir from eating some of them, especially after Ram Jomaram tells the ones planted at Crashpoint Tower that they've been lied to.
Fantastic Rank System: The hierarchy of the Nihil was divided into four ranks: Tempest Runners, Storms, Clouds, and Strikes. The Eye theoretically held equal rank to the three Tempest Runners as the one who handed out the Paths, but they existed outside of the regular ranking structure. This unusual command structure is exploited against the Jedi and Republic, which causes them to erroneously believe that one of the Tempest Runners, Lourna Dee, is the leader after the Republic Fair attack. It's not until Starlight Beacon is destroyed and the Nihil have won that Marchion Ro reveals himself as the true leader of the Nihil.
- Tempest Runners commanded each of the three Tempests and divided their spoils amongst each other and the Eye.
- Storms were the lieutenants of the Tempest Runners, reporting directly to their respective bosses as either officers on the Tempest's flagship or commanding their own unit of ships.
- Clouds commanded their own ships as part of each Tempest.
- Strikes were new recruits brought in by the Clouds and served as the rank-and-file members of the Nihil.
Hate Sink: The Nihil as an organization are fully despicable. Their beef with the Republic is entirely because they are selfish bastards who only care about how much wealth and pleasure they can get for themselves, and they attack innocents just for the fun of it.
High Turnover Rate: There can only be three Tempest Runners at a time, and if one were to die, one of the Storms would be immediately promoted to replace them. The problem is that most of them have died not just in battle against the Jedi and Republic, but partially as a result of constant scheming among the Nihil leadership. As of the end of Phase I, Lourna Dee is the only Tempest Runner from before Marchion Ro became the Eye to still be alive, and she got her position from killing her predecessor. Even now, the Tempest system is in a precarious state after Marchion left Lourna and Zeetar high and dry during the Jedi attack on the Great Hall.
Hypocrite: The Nihil preach doing what you want without rules... but you still have to follow orders. One of the tempest riders lampshades it, but doesn't actually care.
Martyrdom Culture: Deconstructed. After the death of Kassav and his Tempest at the Battle of Kur, Marchion Ro props them up as martyrs and uses their Last Stand to get the rest of the Nihil to rally behind him. The reality is that Marchion set Kassav up to die after making it clear he had it out for him and suspected him of having a hand in his father's death, and Kassav's death was just a step to consolidating power. When Marchion starts moving against Pan Eyta, the latter suspects he's going to turn him into a martyr as well and replace him with a more sycophantic Tempest, just like what happened to Kassav (who got replaced with Zeetar).
Moral Myopia: The Nihil hate the Republic for being "tyrants" encroaching on their "freedoms." The freedoms in question being the freedom to raid and pillage the entire Outer Rim. The Tempest Runners appear to just be paying lip service to the ideal as a means to control their people, but Marchion Ro seems to genuinely believe it at least to some extent. In reality, Marchion is just as motivated by self-interest as the Tempest Runners, but instead of being motivated by just greed or power, he's motivated by his extreme ego. He's convincing as he is because he had to delude himself into believing his own lie.
N.G.O. Superpower: While they are outclassed by superpowers with actual armies in later eras, the Nihil are surprisingly well-equipped and organized for anarchistic Space Pirates, have pulled off well-calculated attacks on worlds (which have resulted in the deaths of Jedi), and even have secret backing from politicians and wealthy and influential hyperspace pioneers. In fact, most of their ranks are pulled not just from people with grievances against the Republic, but from worlds outside its jurisdiction and/or that have been hit hard by the Great Disaster. After the destruction of Starlight Beacon, Marchion Ro and the Nihil cut the Republic off from the Outer Rim with their newly-developed "stormseeds", effectively becoming its rulers at the end of Phase I.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Much like the Sith, the Nihil love the colors of red and black. They're also the main antagonists of The High Republic.
Renegade Splinter Faction: According to Barbatash in Race to Crashpoint Tower, the Nihil originated from the Elders of the Path before becoming their own separate group. This also connects them to the Path of the Open Hand, which Marchion's ship, the Gaze Electric once belonged to and whom Marchion's ancestor, Marda Ro was a part of. They also hatched the egg of the Great Leveler.
Rotten Rock & Roll: Many Nihil pilots like to have intense music of a genre known in-universe as "wreckpunk" played on their own radios and their enemies' comms akin to war drums. The audio books tend to portray this music as heavy metal.
Thrown Out the Airlock: A common form of execution for those deemed responsible for failing the Nihil is to be thrown through the vac shields of the Great Hall of the Nihil to suffocate in space.

Leadership

Eye of the Nihil

Marchion Ro

"What do I see? What does your eye see for the Nihil?"

Species: Evereni

"I do not wish to rule the galaxy. If I did, you would be under my boot even now. But I will take what I wish, when I wish it, and no one will stand in my way - Republic, Jedi, or anyone else. They cannot stand in my way. The Nihil have proven our power, and we will use that power however we choose. This galaxy - this galaxy is mine."

The current Eye of the Nihil, who provides them their special Paths through hyperspace. Despite his position, Marchion has little real power amongst the Nihil overall and must play a complex power game with the Tempest Runners to advance his interests, a situation he seeks to change to reforge the divided Nihil into a larger and more cohesive power.

Authority in Name Only: While his position as Eye grants him a great deal of influence over the Nihil because he controls the Paths, it's an important point that he doesn't directly command anything outside of his personal ship. By the end of Light of the Jedi, this changes.
Bad Boss: He's perfectly willing to sacrifice countless numbers of Nihil if it means getting something he wants. First, he sets up much of Kassav's Tempest (which makes up a third of the Nihil's numbers at that point) to get slaughtered at the Battle of Kur just so he could get rid of Kassav himself and consolidate power as the leader of the Nihil. Second, he brings along a Force-sensitive pilot just to use as a guinea pig for the Great Leveler's Force-nullifying abilities. Third, he sacrifices a number of Nihil pilots to the upper atmosphere of the Nameless's homeworld so he and his personal cult can land on its surface.
The Bad Guy Wins: By the end of Phase I, he has caused the destruction of Starlight Beacon, the deaths or demoralization of several Jedi, and has taken control of the Outer Rim by cutting the Republic off from it.
The Beastmaster: He gains control of a creature called "Great Leveler" in The Rising Storm. This overlaps with Hijacking Cthulhu when it is revealed that the Leveler is one of the Nameless, and Marchion gains several more to control afterward.
Believing Their Own Lies: He's not actually quite sure why he's taken the Nihil beyond simple raiding and plundering beyond his own egomania, and when he develops a cult within the ranks of the Nihil, he ends up deluding himself by the end of Phase I.
Big Bad: By the end of Light of the Jedi, he has cemented himself as the greatest active threat to the Galaxy thus far revealed.
Black Eyes of Evil: Like all members of his species, his eyes are completely black with no sclerae.
Captain Nemo Copy: As the Eye of Nihil, he poses a serious threat to the Republic due to his access to supposedly impossible hyperspace routes, provided by Mari San Tekka letting him attack indiscriminately. Like Nemo, Ro's past is a mystery, though it's implied he's out for revenge against the Jedi, and like Nemo, his name is an alias. Fitting with the high-tech pirate theme, he wears what resembles a finned diving helmet.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He plays just about everyone against everyone if he thinks it'll help him get on top.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Or prequel, as it were. He's very different from Palpatine, being a rough, loutish pirate who doesn't appear to be a Force user and who presides over a chaotic horde of anarchists rather than a sleek, authoritarian Empire.
Cult of Personality: He's been able to get many of the Nihil to follow him closely - and even be willing to die for him - by promising that they'll be part of something special. The reality is he's just taking the Nihil beyond simple raiding for his own ego. Even when some of his closest disciples are put in danger on the Nameless' homeworld, they still continue to follow him.
Depending on the Artist: His mask changes appearance depending on the comic or book he's in, which is explained In-Universe by him having multiple masks.
Enfante Terrible: Thanks to the harsh upbringing of many Evereni away from their homeworld, he was pretty bloodthirsty even as a child, and he grew up to become bloodthristy even by Evereni standards.
Evil Mentor: Takes Krix under his wing as a lieutenant and feeds his hatred of the Jedi and Force users, seeing in him a kindred spirit.
Faux Affably Evil: He has a certain rough charm to him, but don't be fooled - he's a total egomaniac and absolutely ruthless to anyone in his way. For example, he decides to tell a captive Master Obratuk Glii how he was able to destroy Starlight Beacon and destroy Jedi, but mainly as an excuse to gloat to one of his enemies. Once he finishes his story, he feeds Obratuk to one of the Nameless.
Freudian Excuse: Not just for himself but for his species as a whole. Due to several natural disasters, corruption, non-stop war and starvation on their home planet of Everon, the Evereni who were left and became spacefaring became a highly distrustful and self-centered people who want nothing more than galactic domination due to seeing it as their only path for safety. That said, Marchion is incredibly bloodthirsty even by his species' standards.
Genius Bruiser: He's extremely cunning and, as Kassav finds out the hard way, is an absolutely lethal warrior.
Humanoid Aliens: His species is unknown, but he looks mostly human save that he has grey skin and a somewhat predatory cast to his features. In fact, he's had underlings killed for asking about his species. Eye of the Storm reveals their species is called the Evereni.
It's All About Me: While he speaks the language of a liberator, his real motive for taking down the Republic and Jedi is that he's a narcissist that doesn't like being told what to do. When he reveals himself on the Holonet to the galaxy as the leader of the Nihil, he claims that the fall of Starlight Beacon is his achievement and that the galaxy belongs to him, choosing specifically to not credit his organization.
Marchion Ro: I am all that matters, and I do not like people who do not matter telling me what to do.
The Kid with the Remote Control: In the first arc of The High Republic Adventures, Marchion gains two halves of a rod that allow him to control the Great Leveler, a creature capable of great harm to Force users. And it allows him to control other Nameless too. And there are three rods total: the Rod of Seasons, the Rod of Ages, and the Rod of Daybreak.
The Leader: Played with. As Eye of the Nihil, he effectively wields the most power of any individual in their organization because he controls knowledge of the Paths, but that's not nearly as much as he'd like and he still has to work with the Tempest Runners to actually get anything done. By the end of Light of the Jedi, he's succeeded in placing himself in a much stronger position as the leader of the Nihil.
Limited Wardrobe: Played with in that he has two different helmets � a red-eyed cyclops-like one and a black one. In one comic panel, he's shown to be choosing between them.
Malevolent Masked Men: Like all the Nihil, he wears a monstrous-looking helmet designed to be both functional and intimidating.
Manipulative Bastard: He's very skilled at this. The Tempest Runners start off regarding him (grudgingly) as a useful ally but not as their superior; by the end of Light of the Jedi he has the surviving two eating out of his hand.
Mysterious Past: In Light of the Jedi he drops a lot of hints about his past but gives few solid answers, beyond that he wants revenge on the Jedi and the Republic for something that happened to his family long ago and that 'Marchion Ro' isn't even his real name. Even his species isn't clear and he kills anyone who inquires about it. Eye of the Storm reveals that his species call themselves the Evereni.
No-Sell: He can shrug off a Jedi mind-trick through sheer stubbornness, though he indicates the knowledge of how to do this is a skill that's been passed down through his family.
Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: He claims to be leading the Nihil to absolute freedom from authority, but in reality, he's a bloodthirsty egomaniac that's only trying to destroy the Jedi and Republic for his own vanity and because of a familial grudge. When he gloats about the destruction of Starlight Beacon on the Holonet, he claims it as his, and not the Nihil's, victory and that the galaxy belongs to him. And he has had to delude himself into believing in his own narrative.
Psychopathic Manchild: While he presents himself as someone with a grand vision to his followers, Eye of the Storm reveals that, underneath that grandiosity, his real motives are far simpler and pettier, being comparable to a playground bully: He's an egomaniac that wants to crush anyone that would dare to tell him what to do.
Self-Made Orphan: Discovered his father alive but badly wounded after one of the Tempest Runners attempted to kill him. Marchion could have taken him for medical treatment, but instead watches as his father bleeds to death for all the abuse he suffered at his father's hands, and because that is what is expected of the Evereni. His only regret was not asking which Tempest was behind the assassination.
Shout-Out: Charles Soule has admitted that Michael Corleone from The Godfather was something of an inspiration for Marchion.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: His usual outfit leaves his arms bare.
The Sociopath: He's very charismatic, but he's also a self-centered manipulator with a sadistic streak.
Soft-Spoken Sadist: In sharp contrast to his rowdier cohorts, Marc Thompson gives Marchion a distinctly quiet, eerie-sounding voice with a slight Icelandic accent.
Underestimating Badassery: He actively encourages the Tempest Runners to underestimate him, at least until he's ready to assume command outright.
Villainous Legacy: Inherited his position from his father. Also drops hints that his family has an antagonistic history with the Jedi going back a long time.
Visionary Villain: He's coy on what exactly his vision is, but it's clear that he has big plans for the Nihil. Galaxy-spanning plans.
We Have Reserves: When traveling to the homeworld of the Nameless, he sacrifices many of the Nihil to the planet's literally-hostile upper atmosphere so he and his disciples can go down to the planet's surface.
Xanatos Speed Chess: Plays a mean game. He explicitly notes he doesn't have plans so much as goals and that he takes whatever steps necessary to reach those goals, adjusting in real-time as necessary.
You Killed My Father: One of the Tempest Runners killed his father, though he's not sure which. He's pretty sure it's Kassav and explains as much to him as he prepares to leave him for dead. After Kassav's death, he begins to suspect Pan Eyta. It's revealed in Tempest Runner that all three of them plotted to kill Asgar, but it was Lourna Dee that had stabbed him. Marchion found him still alive, but wounded, and finished him off as payback for the abuse he suffered from him. Finding the assassin was just one of his ways to consolidate power.

Asgar Ro

Species: Evereni

Voiced by: Jonathan Davis (Tempest Runner)
Appearances: Tempest Runner (flashback only) | Eye of the Storm (Flashback)

Marchion Ro's father and the previous Eye of the Nihil until he was mysteriously killed.

Abusive Parent: He was abusive to his son Marchion.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: When Marchion discovered him in his dying state, Asgar begged him for help, only for his son to turn against him for having abused him his entire life. When he realizes that Marchion is planning on watching him bleed to death, Asgar is pleased, as that is what is expected amongst the Evereni.
Asshole Victim: While Marchion was supposedly trying to avenge his death by taking out the Tempest Runner he suspects was involved in his death, it's revealed in the Wave 2 stories of Phase I that Marchion didn't have much love for Asgar due to the abuse inflicted by him and finished him off while he was already dying. Finding and eliminating the original assassin ultimately was just a formality for Marchion consolidating power.
Beard of Evil: Had a goatee and was a ruthless and abusive bastard with nefarious designs for his son and the Nihil.
Big, Screwed-Up Family: The Ro family is marred in distrust and betrayal, which is shockingly normal for Evereni families. In the case of the Ro family, Asgar murdered his own mother Shalla and abused his own son Marchion while raising him to be his successor. Asgar himself was finished off by Marchion after being killed by Lourna Dee.
Driving Question: For part of Phase I, it was a mystery over who killed Asgar, with Marchion suspecting it was one of the three Tempest Runners. Tempest Runner reveals that it was all three were conspiring to kill him, but Lourna killed him in a careful game of trust and betrayal, and Marchion himself finished him off upon discovering him.
From Nobody to Nightmare: The Nihil were just another small, insignificant gang of criminals until Asgar took charge and brought them the power of hyperspace by capturing Mari San Tekka.
Posthumous Character: He was killed sometime before the main events of the The High Republic series. His appearances in Tempest Runner and Eye of the Storm are flashback sequences.
Self-Made Orphan: Murdered his mother Shalla after accusing her of being too scared to enact their family's plan to destroy the Jedi and the Republic.

Tempest Runners

Lourna Dee

Species: Twi'lek

Homeworld: Aaloth

One of the three Tempest Runners of the Nihil. Lourna's Tempest specializes in stealth and extortion, but she and her followers can also be amongst the cruelest of the Nihil. She commands her Tempest from the warship Lourna Dee.

Bad Boss: She's not above killing the people in her own Tempest if it means achieving victory or survival.
Butter Face: Downplayed. As seen in artist Ario Arindito's art on Cavan Scott's blog◊, she's still fairly attractive beneath the mask, though her piercings, sharpened teeth, and weary appearance make her look more intimidating than most Twi'lek women we've seen. When shown in the High Republic comic, she is prone to many a Slasher Smile.
Co-Dragons: After Marchion Ro takes full control of the Nihil, Lourna and Pan becomes his reluctant lieutenants. However, with Pan's eventual death at her hands and the apparent High Turnover Rate among Tempest Runners, Lourna is treated as the most prominent of the Runners during the High Republic storyline.
Dangerous Deserter: After being rescued from slavery when she was younger, Lourna was sponsored to attend Carida Academy by Jedi Master Oppo Rancicis. After learning military tactics for a few months, she fled the school after badly beating two other cadets and stealing a starfighter. She uses what she learned at Carida to more effectively run her Tempest and carry out raids.
Dark Action Girl: She isn't a Tempest Runner for nothing. During the Nihil's attack on Valo, Lourna duels two Jedi, one of whom is Council member Stellan Gios, and not only survives but wounds them both despite her own injuries.
Dragon with an Agenda: She has her own interests and plots outside of the Nihil's plans and is perfectly willing to use or sacrifice Nihil to meet those goals, like her plot with Chancey Yarrow and the Graf family to create a gravity well generator.
Even Evil Has Standards: Although she isn't torn up about Kassav's death, Lourna is unsettled by the fact that Marchion set up an entire third of the Nihil to be killed by the Jedi and the Republic as part of his scheme to seize control and wonders exactly what kind of man she is dealing with who could do something like that so casually.
Faking the Dead: Places H7-09 into her armor with a bomb strapped to it so that the Republic would think she went down fighting when they boarded her ship at the Battle of the Galov System. Thanks to no one outside of her bridge crew having seen her face, Lourna then passes herself off as a low-ranking member of the crew when captured.
Freudian Excuse: When she was younger, Lourna was manipulated into helping a coup be carried out against her family that got them all killed and ended with her being sold as a slave. The trauma and torture she suffered during that period gave her severe trust and anger issues and a desire to never be controlled or manipulated again.
From Nobody to Nightmare: Goes from being a middle child of a minor noble family on a backwater Twi'lek colony to one of the most fearsome and tenacious pirates that the galaxy has ever seen.
Green-Skinned Space Babe: She's a green-skinned Twi'lek.
Hidden Agenda Villain: Out of the Shadows reveals that she has connections to the Graf family and a long association with Chancey Yarrow, with the three parties having conspired to develop interdictor technology behind Ro's back. Why exactly Lourna was helping with that project and what her plan is are not revealed.
Honorary Aunt: Turns out to be one to Sylvestri Yarrow, who was left by her mother in Lourna's care for almost a year in an effort to teach her how to fight. Said training broke a number of Syl's bones and left her with a very negative opinion of "Aunt" Lourna.
It's All About Me: While Lourna is capable of caring for other people, ultimately her number one priority will always be herself and she won't hesitate to kill or sacrifice those she cares about to save her own life.
Literal Disarming: During the Jedi attack on the Great Hall, Avar cuts Lourna's right hand off in a rage when she realizes she's wielding Terec's lightsaber.
Karma Houdini: After getting captured at the Great Hall, she escapes Jedi custody during the fall of Starlight Beacon, supposedly kills OrbaLin, and hijacks the Ataraxia.
Made a Slave: After her family was removed from power in a coup she was tricked into aiding, Lourna was sold to a Zygerrian slave cartel. She was eventually freed when the Jedi led a Republic raid on the slave camp.
Mistaken Identity: The Jedi and Republic come to believe that Lourna is the Eye and leader of the Nihil after she leads the attack on Valo and due to further false information provided by the Graf family in an attempt to escape Republic justice for cooperating with the Nihil.
Redemption Rejection: She has a chance to turn away from the Nihil and reform herself during the events of Tempest Runner, but her bitterness and need for independence and control over her life overwhelm any desire Lourna has to reform and cause her to fully embrace her life in the Nihil.
Scary Teeth: Has her teeth filed into sharp fangs, a tradition normally reserved for male Twi'leks.
Sole Survivor: All of her family were executed in the coup she helped make happen.
The Spock: Of the three Tempest Runners she appears to be the most levelheaded.
You Kill It, You Bought It: Ascended to her position as Tempest Runner by killing her predecessor in the position when he broke free and tried to kill Asgar Ro while on trial for breaking the Rule of Three.

Zeetar

Species: Talpini

Appearances: The Halcyon Legacy | The Rising Storm | Tempest Runner | The High Republic (2021)

An engineer originally from Lourna Dee's Tempest that got promoted to Tempest Runner following the deaths of Kassav Miliko and his Tempest at the Battle of Kur. He used his technical expertise to improve the Nihil's Path engines and scav droids.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg: He's usually incredibly arrogant about what his powersuit is capable of, but as soon as the Jedi bisect it, he begs them for mercy.
Bad Boss: After a Thisspiasian Strike serving under him downloads data from the Halcyon and transmits it to Zeetar, he has the Thisspiasian electrocuted to death with a booby trap in his gear just to prevent the risk of him leaking intel if he were captured.
Depraved Dwarf: Talpini like Zeetar are incredibly short, and he also happens to be a promoted Nihil Tempest and one of their best engineers.
Dirty Coward: With his suit not fully repaired and Marchion Ro leaving the Nihil to fend for themselves, he's quick declare everyone for themselves when the Ataraxia attacks the Great Hall of the Nihil.
Drop the Hammer: One of the weapons he can wield with his powersuit is a large battle hammer.
Evil Genius: He's responsible for improving on the Nihil's tech, and he even built himself a powersuit.
Herr Doktor: In Tempest Runner, he's voiced with a thick German accent.
Hoist by His Own Petard: When the Jedi attack the Great Hall of the Nihil, he meets his end when Avar uses the Force to make his flamethrower's fuel tank explode on him.
If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!: To get Keeve to prove that she is one of the Nihil while she's going undercover, he orders her to smash Myarga's skull in with his hammer. While Myarga is hardly a kitten and more of an Asshole Victim in this situation, killing her in cold blood would compromise Keeve's values as a Jedi.
Mini-Mecha: After his promotion, he built himself a large powersuit to make himself look bigger, and this suit is strong enough to overpower Pan Eyta.
Mistaken Identity: He is mistaken for a candidate for Eye of the Nihil after Lourna Dee (who was previously presumed to be the Eye) presumably died at the Battle of Galov.
Mook Promotion: As the rules of the Nihil mean there can only be three Tempests at a time, he was promoted immediately after Kassav's death.
Na�ve Newcomer: Being a newly-promoted Tempest Runner, Zeetar thinks that the Tempests all work together, but in reality, they are constantly trying to one-up each other. And since he was promoted to replace Kassav, he's unaware that Marchion Ro set Kassav up to die at Kur until he witnesses Marchion torturing Pan Eyta to make a point.
Properly Paranoid: When the Jedi attack the Great Hall, Zeetar does not take his powersuit into battle, stating it has not been fully-repaired and would rather retreat, but Lourna Dee rebukes him by claiming it looks ready enough to use. He is ultimately proven right posthumously, as when Lourna tries to attack Avar using Zeetar's powersuit, Avar uses the Force to break it to pieces with little effort (it should be noted that when the suit was fully functional, Zeetar managed to put up quite a fight against Nib Assek when he attacked the Halcyon and Keeve on Xais).
Puppet King: Pan suspects that Marchion Ro only appointed Zeetar as a replacement to Kassav to prop up an illusion that the Tempest Runners still have the same power they had before the Battle of Kur, being well aware that Ro used that battle and Kassav's death as an excuse to consolidate power for the Eye.
Smug Snake: He is very overconfident in what he's capable of using his powersuit and thinks he's Marchion's favorite Tempest Runner, but take that powersuit away from him, and he'll be begging for mercy or try to flee from the action. Even when he's forced to fight outside his suit, he's not a very impressive fighter, especially compared to the other Tempest Runners. When he tries to roast Avar with a flamethrower, she uses the Force to rupture his fuel tank and make him blow himself up.
Sycophantic Servant: In contrast to the original three Tempest Runners, who had nothing but disdain for Marchion Ro, Zeetar has nothing but respect for him and tries to gain the Eye's respect in turn, a trait which gains him Pan and Lourna's ire. And when Ro starts acting against Pan, the latter suspects he's going to replace him with another sycophant ( which is proven right in Out of the Shadows, where with Pan presumed dead, he has been replaced with Kara Xoo, a former Storm from Kassav's Tempest).

Kara Xoo

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2fed45d6_5d70_4271_8c24_5bd215ce1a35.jpeg

Species: Quarren

Appearances: A Test of Courage | Out of the Shadows | Mission to Disaster

A female Quarren that was previously a Storm in Kassav Miliko's Tempest and the commander of the starship, Poisoned Barb. Her unit planned to prevent the Dalnan sector from joining the Republic and have them join the Nihil instead. After Kassav's death, she became one of the Tempest Runners to replace Pan Eyta after he went missing at the Battle of Cyclor.

The Fagin: She kidnaps several children during her raids, including Avon Starros at Port Haileap, to recruit into the Nihil. Unlike most examples of this trope, she's recruiting these children to be Child Soldier Space Pirates instead of mere thieves.
Karma Houdini: While Vernestra, Imri and Avon are able to safely evacuate Dalna's population, Kara Xoo ultimately succeeds in ravaging Dalna's surface and has already recruited many children into the ranks of the Nihil. And she is still active as a Tempest Runner as of the end of Phase I.
The Man Behind the Man: In A Test of Courage, two of her Strikes, Gwishi and Klinith Da, are the main Nihil antagonists of that story. After the both of them are captured by the survivors of the Steady Wing incident, Xoo is revealed to be their commanding officer, making plans to attack Dalna and get its people to join the Nihil's ranks.
Mook Promotion: She was originally part of Kassav's Tempest, but after his death (as well as the rest of his Tempest) at the Battle of Kur, and Pan Eyta disappears at Cyclor, she is promoted to fill in Pan's place as a Tempest Runner.
Would Hurt a Child: Has no issue with enslaving or killing the kidnapped children who don't make the cut to join her Tempest, and it is made clear that she has let her lieutenant Deva eat some.

Original Members

Zan Avan

Species: Frong

Appearances: Tempest Runner^note

One of the original three Tempest Runners and Lourna Dee's predecessor.

Posthumous Character: He was killed long before the Nihil attacked the Republic.
The Starscream: Alongside Kassav and Pan Eyta, he was planning to kill Asgar Ro. When Lourna killed him to prevent an assassination attempt and was promoted to replace him, she got in on the conspiracy as well.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He was killed by Lourna shortly after she met him, existing only to show how she became a Tempest Runner.

Kassav Milliko

Species: Weequay

Homeworld: Sriluur

Voiced by: Neil Hellegers (Tempest Runner)
Appearances: Tempest Runner^note | Eye of the Storm^note | Light of the Jedi

One of the original three Tempest Runners of the Nihil. Kassav and his Tempest operate the most like standard pirates of all three groups, chasing riches, glory, and drugs. His flagship is the warship New Elite.

An Arm and a Leg: After underestimating just how cunning he is, Marchion Ro proves that he didn't earn his position as the Eye through nepotism alone by cutting off enough of Kassav's right hand in a fight to render it functionally useless.
Asshole Victim: Being a hotheaded and greedy thug, Lourna Dee isn't particularly sad about Marchion Ro setting him up to die at the Battle of Kur. She's more disturbed by the fact that Marchion was willing to sacrifice a third of the Nihil as a whole to not only eliminate a potential rival, but prop them up as martyrs to declare himself leader of the Nihil.
Gas Mask, Longcoat: When wearing his breath mask (which looks close to a real world gas mask), he also wears what looks like a dress suit with it.
Mugging the Monster: He tries to extort the planet Eriadu for credits using Marchion Ro's knowledge that debris from the Legacy Run was going to hit it. Unfortunately for Kassav, he wasn't informed ahead of time that the people of Eriadu were a Proud Warrior Race, and after being extorted, the governor identifies his ship and posts the information on the HoloNet for the Republic and Jedi. And then the governor kills him and his Tempest herself after the Battle of Kur.
Parental Abandonment: When Governor Veen calls him a bastard for holding a moon hostage, Kassav jokes that might be true as he never actually knew his parents.
Underestimating Badassery: Throughout most of Light of the Jedi, Kassav presumes Marchion Ro only got his position as Eye of the Nihil by merely inheriting the position from his father, Asgar Ro. After Kassav's blunder at Eriadu, Marchion brutally proves to Kassav that he didn't earn his title just through nepotism and mutilates Kassav's right hand before he can draw his blaster.

Pan Eyta

Species: Dowutin

Homeworld: Dowut

Voiced by: Marc Thompson (Tempest Runner)
Appearances: Eye of the Storm^note | Light of the Jedi | The Rising Storm | Tempest Runner

One of the three Tempest Runners of the Nihil. Pan is fond of the nicer things the galaxy has to offer with particular tastes in suits, music, food, and art, with those among his Tempest following suit. His flagship is the Elegencia.

Bad Boss: Casually executes several of his crew throughout The Rising Storm for questioning or annoying him. By the end of the novel, he begins killing them just for being in his way and abandons them all to die in battle while he escapes in a secret private escape pod.
Co-Dragons: After Marchion Ro takes full control of the Nihil, Pan and Lourna becomes his reluctant lieutenants.
Covered in Scars: He has numerous scars from his childhood on Dowut and his various fights since then. Pan gains several new electrical scars after nearly being killed by Marchion's booby trapped helmet as punishment.
Determinator: He stops at nothing in his quest to kill Lourna Dee in Tempest Runner, even as he's dying from Marchion Ro's poison.
Evil Sounds Deep: Marc Thompson gives Pan a deep, baritone voice befitting a hulking Dowutin. His mask's vocoder only adds to the effect.
Kick the Son of a Bitch: When attacking the Restitution, he kills Ola Hest when she tries to use Lourna Dee as a bargaining chip. Given that Hest was imprisoned on the Restitution for destroying a children's hospital, nobody's going to be mourning for her.
Killed Off for Real: He was presumed by many in the Nihil to have died immediately after the Battle of Cyclor, either from Marchion's poison or the explosives planted on his ship. Tempest Runner shows him to still be alive, but on life-support that's barely keeping him alive and plotting revenge against Lourna Dee. When he tries to kill her on Arbra, she tries to get rid of him by dumping him in a logging pit to be burned alive after damaging his life-support, but then it turns out his body was never found. After the Restitution leaves Arbra, Pan attacks the ship, but is executed by Lourna after being put at her mercy.
Sanity Slippage: After getting poisoned by Marchion Ro, he becomes uninhinged and starts murdering people in his Tempest left and right just for being in his way. He gets even worse after Lourna Dee backstabs him by giving him an anti-toxin that only makes his condition worse. As he's slowly dying from the poison in Tempest Runner and is in constant agonizing pain, he dedicates his last days to killing Lourna, even killing people who were only remotely associated with her, such as a deserter from her Tempest after she was captured.
Sapient Eat Sapient: When he was a child Pan escaped Dowut by stowing away aboard a freighter. He subsequently killed and ate the crew for sustenance on his journey.
The Starscream: After initially submitting to Marchion, Pan begins chaffing under the Eye's control and seeks any advantage he can to turn the Nihil against him and take power for himself. He ultimately fails after being betrayed by Lourna, who arranged for his Tempest to be destroyed in revenge for Pan leaving her to die on Valo.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: By the end of The Rising Storm, Pan's dying of Marchion's poison and the Elegencia had an explosive charge placed onboard. After being conspired against by Marchion and backstabbed by Lourna Dee, he decides to flee from the Battle of Cyclor towards Dowut, with Marchion, Lourna, the Republic and the Jedi presuming him to be dead. However, the Tempest Runner shows him to still be alive, but deathly ill and plotting revenge against Lourna.
Stereotype Flip: Dowutins are often characterized as large brutes who care only about strength and power, with little time for softer luxuries. Pan has custom made turquoise leather suits, enjoys the opera, and other luxuries. Kassav is disgusted by this and believes that Pan is attempting to be something he is not. After getting poisoned by Marchion and Lourna, he becomes increasingly unhinged and starts slipping into the brute stereotype.

Others

The Eye's Staff

Thaya Ferr

Species: Human

Appearances: The Fallen Star

An assistant to Marchion Ro who serves aboard the Gaze Electric.

The Creon: She harbors no desire for power beyond her position as Marchion's assistant, content to carry out his will and ensure that his plans are carried out without issue.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Marchion values her due to her loyalty, skill, and lack of zealotry. Ferr often finds small ways to improve upon her boss's plans, including such touches as broadcasting his message to the galaxy over the same frequency Starlight Beacon used.
Remember the New Girl?: Never mentioned or seen prior to her appearance in The Fallen Star, where Ferr is suddenly introduced as Marchion's loyal right hand.
Undying Loyalty: She is completely loyal to Marchion, and he finds in her the one follower he has that is competent, not a sycophantic zealot, and won't betray him.

Kisma Uttersond

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kisma_uttersound_sw.png

Species: Chadra-Fan

A Chadra-Fan doctor who was tasked with taking care of Mari San Tekka aboard the Gaze Electric.

Artificial Limb: He has a cybernetic left leg.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: His main motivation for working with the Nihil was to make money to support his family's medical debts.
Mad Doctor: Downplayed. While he's a part of Marchion Ro's inner circle and he's tasked with keeping a one-hundred-year-old woman on life-support against her will, he's not as deranged as most examples of this trope and is actually more pragmatic. Deconstructed in Trail of Shadows, which shows he's actually getting fed up with being one of these, as his complicity with the Nihil means he's indirectly hurting people instead of helping them like he wants to, and he only joined the Nihil in the first place to support his family. It gets to the point of him betraying the Nihil and gunning Zagyar down in a fit of rage.
Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: After taking too much abuse from Marchion, he starts to undermine him in Trail of Shadows, plotting to sell the Great Leveler on the black market and even conspiring with the Tarnab serial killer Arathab Fal to fake attacks against himself.
Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Subverted. He does have actual medical experience and seems to subscribe to the Star Wars version of the Hippocratic oath, but the fact that he's with the Nihil makes it questionable if he's legally licensed. However, as the Nihil's atrocities get worse, Uttersond starts to crack under pressure and betray the Nihil.
Only Sane Man: Among the Nihil, he seems to be among the few with their head on straight. Most of the Nihil's ranks consist of megalomaniacs, amoral pirates, and ideological zealots, with varying degrees Chronic Backstabbing Disorder or being incredibly sycophantic. Doctor Uttersond seems to care more about making sure his patients are taken care of and that the Nihil don't overtax their resources. However, as the Nihil start committing progressively worse atrocities and Marchion continues to abuse and belittle him, he snaps and not only betrays the Nihil (declaring both them and the Jedi as enemies), he conspires with a serial killer as part of the betrayal and murders one of his colleagues in a fit of rage.
Pragmatic Villainy: He may be loyal to Marchion, but even he suggests that Mari shouldn't be pushed past her limits when having her calculate "paths" and be given at least a week's worth of rest so she doesn't strain herself out. And seeing as Mari is the source of the Nihil's paths, he's making a point to make sure she doesn't get exhausted to death.
Punch-Clock Villain: Trail of Shadows reveals that he's just a guy trying to pay the bills for his family and not an opportunistic pirate or ideological zealot like most of his colleagues in the Nihil. While he's not a big fan of the Jedi, the lack of respect from Marchion Ro and the others and his complicity with their worst atrocities resulting in blood being spilled causes him to crack under pressure and betray them.
Kisma Uttersond: I have no moral code whatsoever. No politics. No loyalty. Not to the Nihil. Not to the Republic. Not to anything. I just want to make lots of money and live to see another day. That's it.
Uncertain Doom: He disappears in the last of issue of Trail of Shadows, having escaped from Emerick and Sian aboard the doomed Starlight Beacon while it was falling. Emerick presumes the Doctor either died in the station's destruction or was devoured by the Nameless.
When You Coming Home, Dad?: His work with Nihil and being in Marchion Ro's inner circle means he barely has any time to spend with his wife and his children.

Nan

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nan_26.png

Species: Human

Appearances: Into the Dark | Out of the Shadows | The Edge of Balance | The Fallen Star

A small, orphaned young woman encountered by the Vessel when they are stranded by the Great Disaster. She is secretly a Nihil agent, and soon catches the Eye's attention and becomes his top spy.

I Owe You My Life: After Reath saves her from being kidnapped by slavers, she lets him live after cornering him with her blaster, so long as he leaves the Amaxine station. It's made very clear that this is a one-time offer.
Older Than They Look: Nan is a young woman around Reath's age, but looks like a child due to her small stature.
Removing the Rival: She despises Krix, as he is Marchion's other favorite, and is trying to find a way to kill him without drawing the Eye's ire. When it appears a fight might break out during a meeting with the Tempest Runners, Nan plans to take the chance to kill him discreetly, but the fight doesn't happen.
Replacement Goldfish: Believes that Chancey Yarrow is using her as one for her daughter Syl after she rejected her mother for working with the Nihil.
The Vamp: Played With. While Nan flirts with Reath in order to gain information about the Jedi, he generally ignores the flirting but still gives her the information she wants due to his status as an emissary of the Republic. It's also implied that it may have been at least somewhat genuine on her part.
Would Hurt a Child: She attempts to hurt Reath, and she also intends to kill Krix.

Krix Kamerat

Species: Human

Appearances: The High Republic Adventures (2021) | Out of the Shadows | The Edge of Balance | Midnight Horizon

A follower of the Elders of the Path and Zeen's best friend. After the Nihil attacked their commune on Trymant IV, Zeen revealed her taboo connection to the Force, spurring Krix to join the Nihil out of feelings of betrayal.

Black-and-White Insanity: As the Elders taught that having a relationship with the Force beyond observing it is bad, he sees Zeen revealing her Force-sensitivity as a huge betrayal due to that and believing she didn't trust him enough to tell her. This is also why he's against the Jedi and joins the Nihil to spite them, despite the Nihil being responsible for the destruction of his home and attack on his people.
Dramatic Irony: Zeen kept her Force-sensitivity a secret from even him as she was afraid of what their group would do to her. When she's forced to reveal it to save them both and the Jedi, Krix proves her fears when he angrily accuses her of manipulating him and not trusting him before joining the Nihil out of belief that they're the real good guys.
Evil Former Friend: Any trace of decency is burned out of Krix by his belief Zeen betrayed him and his time spent as Marchion's protege.
Meaningful Name:
- In Norwegian, Kamerat means "friend" or "comrade", referencing both his relationship with Zeen and him joining the Nihil.
- In Latin, camerata can also mean "chambered", seeing as Krix is essentially trapped with the Nihil, whether he knows it or not.
My God, What Have I Done?: Upon realizing he shot down Zeen's ship during the skirmish on Quantxi, Krix is horrified and tries to check on her. However her anger overwhelms her and she briefly chokes Krix with the Force, further reinforcing his feelings of betrayal and hatred which drive him down the path of the Nihil.

Udi Dis

Species: Talortai

Homeworld: Talor

Appearances: The Rising Storm

Marchion Ro's private pilot, a Talortai with low-level force sensitivity that allows him to navigate dangerous space with pinpoint precision.

Ace Pilot: Thanks to his force sensitivity, Udi can navigate unpredictable asteroid fields and make maneuvers that would kill a normal pilot.
Addled Addict: He was addicted to Reedug for the better part of a decade until Marchion forced him to come clean.
Canon Immigrant: Talortai were a Legends species known for being somewhat avian and having innate force sensitivity, both traits apparent in Udi Dis.
Cruel and Unusual Death: While he doesn't get calcified by the Leveler while getting cut off from the Force (since the Leveler is still frozen at this point), he gets impaled by a droid before getting his skull crushed by Marchion.
Dual Wielding: Fights with two wingblades, which are curved weapons that are traditionally used by the Talortai. They are his only link left to his homeworld.
The Exile: Udi was exiled from Talor since he�s a �witch� that uses the force, which is taboo among the Talortai.
First-Name Basis: He takes great pride in being allowed to call the Eye "Marchion".
Healing Factor: Like in Legends, Talortai are capable of healing from injuries quickly. Unfortunately for Udi, it doesn't help him after he gets impaled by one of the shrine droids while he was being psychically-assaulted by the Great Leveler, with the implication that his regenerative abilities came from his now-severed Force connection.
Schr�dinger's Canon: In Legends, Talortai were The Ageless. It�s implied this is true here as well, since while Udi is talking to Pan he implies that Mari San Tekka being older than himself is extremely noteworthy.
The Starscream: After his Cloud Scarspike commanded a botched raid that left most of their crew dead, Udi killed him by slashing his throat. This act helped bring him to the attention of Marchion and earn his promotion into the Eye's routine.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He's killed off in his third chapter in his only appearance.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Udi is constantly haunted by the disapproval of his late father and it�s implied this is the root of his eagerness to please Marchion.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Marchion actually brought him to Rystan to use as a guinea pig for the Great Leveler's effects on Force-sensitives. After it passively cuts Udi off from the Force, he is impaled by the shrine droids, and Marchion thanks him for serving his purpose by stomping on his head.

Hague

Species: Zabrak

Appearances: Into the Dark

An elderly Zabrak man and Nan's guardian. Like her, he is a Nihil agent.

Evil Old Folks: He's described as elderly and somewhat frail, though still strong enough to wield a blaster well enough.
Parental Substitute: Nan says he's looked after her since her parents were killed.
Thrown Out the Airlock: During the three-way fight between the Nihil, the Drengir, and the Jedi, Reath opens an airlock and spaces him and most of the Nihil aboard the Amaxine station, along with the Drengir.

Lourna Dee's Tempest

Tasia

Species: Cathar

Voiced by: January LaVoy
Appearances: Tempest Runner

A Storm serving under Lourna's command aboard her flagship.

Bullying a Dragon: After she and Lourna are captured and sentenced to prison, Tasia gets Lourna to serve as her bodyguard by threatening to tell the Republic or the other prisoners who she really is, as the Republic would take her away for interrogation and likely sentence her to life in prison, while the other prisoners, which include many Nihil from Pan's crew, would love to kill her for the bragging rights. Tasia also spends a lot of time mocking or insulting Lourna in addition to blackmailing her.

Quin

Species: Bival

Voiced by: Shannon Tyo
Appearances: Tempest Runner | The High Republic (2021)

A Cloud who served aboard the Lourna Dee as a slicer and engineer.

Affably Evil: She is actually pretty friendly for a member of the Nihil, and looks after Sestin during Pan Eytan's attack on the Restitution. However, Quin is still a willing member of a violent murderous group of raiders who thinks nothing of killing those in her way.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: When the Jedi attack the Great Hall of the Nihil and the Ataraxia blows a hole in it, the Jedi save her and some other Nihil from being sucked out into space. While she does thank the Jedi for sparing them as she's taken prisoner, she openly admits that she wouldn't have done the same for them had their positions been reversed.
Rank Up: By the end of Tempest Runner, Quin is appointed to be one of Lourna's new Storms in her reformed Tempest.

Muglan

Species: Gloovan

Voiced by: Soneela Nankani
Appearances: Tempest Runner | The High Republic (2021)

A criminal who was imprisoned onboard the Republic prison ship, Restitution. While serving time, she was recruited as muscle for the former Hutt enforcer, Ola Hest.

Avenging the Villain: After Pan Eyta kills Ola Hest, she decides to team up with Lourna as payback against Pan, despite antagonizing her throughout Lourna's time on serving on the Restitution.
Half the Woman She Used to Be: She is fatally bisected by Avar Kriss during the Jedi attack on the Great Hall of the Nihil.
Recruiting the Criminal: After successfully defending the Restitution (and taking over and renaming it the Lourna Dee), Lourna Dee recruits her as a Storm into her rebuilt Tempest.

Kassav Milliko's Tempest

Gwishi and Klinith Da

Species: Aqualish (Gwishi), Human (Klinith Da)

Appearances: A Test of Courage

Two Strikes from Kassav's Tempest who served in Kara Xoo's Storm. After the Great Disaster, they were tasked with sabotaging the Republic starship, Steady Wing, to prevent Dalna from joining the Republic.

Ambition Is Evil: Klinith hopes that her role in sabotaging the Steady Wing will get her promoted in the Nihil's ranks.
Arc Villain: They are the main villains of A Test of Courage, but in the grand scheme of the Nihil's plans, they are ultimately mere underlings.
The Dividual: Gwishi and Klinith work as a team and are never seen separated from each other.
Eye Scream: Gwishi is missing his lower right eye.
Leave No Witnesses: The both of them go down to Wevo's surface to eliminate anyone that might have survived their attack. Unfortunately for them, two of those survivors are Jedi, one of them having recently been knighted.
Vehicular Sabotage: Both of them go undercover as mechanics at Port Haileap as part of the plan to sabotage the Steady Wing.

Kara Xoo's Tempest

Zadina Mkampa

Doctor Zadina Mkampa

Species: Human (Cyborg)

Appearances: Mission to Disaster

A scientist that served aboard Kara Xoo's starship, the Poisoned Barb.

Affably Evil: When Kara Xoo catches note of Avon Starros's technological expertise and appoints her to be Mkampa's assistant, the doctor is surprisingly accommodating to Avon despite her coldness, such as providing her more comfortable living quarters and clothing and offering her sweet drinks (if only because of a lack of water). As far she's concerned, she needs her assistant well-cared for if she wants to make use of her.
Arm Cannon: Her cybernetic hand can lower to reveal a blaster built into her arm.
Cyborg: The left half of her body is heavily covered in cybernetics, which she got as a result of a few accidents in her relentless pursuit of science.
Foil: To Avon Starros. Both Mkampa and Avon are scientifically curious people who try to tinker with things just because they can. Unlike Avon, however, Mkampa has no ethical boundaries whatsoever when it comes to these pursuits.
For Science!: She cares very little for the Nihil's cause and only sees them as a means to pursue her own scientific curiosities.
Mad Scientist: She felt working in a university would be boring, so she felt like the Nihil were a much more promising alternative. Among her scientific curiosities, she also made the Nihil's trademark Deadly Gas bombs and a Superweapon that ultimately renders Dalna uninhabitable.
Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: She started off as a munitions officer to satisfy her scientific curiosities, and she didn't feel like she belonged in a university. Instead, she put her talents to use as a Nihil weapon scientist.
Nightmare Fetishist: She speaks of a hellish war on her homeworld she was involved in before joining the Nihil as something beautiful, if only because of the scientific opportunities it offered her.

Deva Lompop

See her entry on the Bounty Hunters and Mercenaries page.

Krix Kamerat's Cell

Sabata Krill

Species: Er'Kit

Appearances: The High Republic Adventures (2021) | The Edge of Balance | Midnight Horizon

One of two Er'Kit sisters who served in a Nihil cell led by Krix Kamerat.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: While operating on Corellia, she manipulates a lovestruck passerby into helping her, only to leave him to die and be a scapegoat for her activity.
Cain and Abel: While Sabata is loyal to the Nihil through and through, Bareen shows some hesitation when it comes to trying to go after the Jedi on Takodana. Both of them defect after their ship is brought down, but only Bareen's defection is genuine. Sabata uses this as an opportunity to sabotage the Takodana Jedi Temple, hoping to kill Bareen in the process. After the battle, Sabata reports her sister's defection to Krix and makes it clear she would try to kill her if she ran into her again.
Fake Defector: When her and Bareen Krill's ship gets downed by Sav Malagan when attempting to attack the Jedi temple on Takodana, both sisters surrender. However, while Bareen's defection is genuine, Sabata uses this as an attempt to get closer to the temple and have it bombed from within.
Sadist: In Midnight Horizon, she notably takes a bit of pleasure of watching Prybolt Garavult - a Grindalid - die from a combination of Nihil gas and getting his skin burned from exposure to Corellia's sun.
Sibling Team: She and her sister, Bareen Krill, flew the same ship at the Battle of Takodana. However, they parted ways afterward, with Bareen defecting and Sabata planning to kill her for treason.
The Starscream: After the Battle of Takodana, she plots to have Krix killed, thinking him too much of an anger-driven hothead to be an effective leader.

Respriler

Nomar Tralmat (Respriler)

Species: Human

Homeworld: Corellia

Apearances: The High Republic Adventures (2021) | Midnight Horizon

A major political figure in Corellia's Coronet City, who is also an agent in Krix Kamerat's Nihil cell going by the name "Respriler".

Ambiguously Human: Invoked. As Respriler, he wears a mask that could indicate a number of alien species, with the nozzle on his mask notably similar to species such as Kubaz. This hides that he's actually a Corellian human.
Broken Pedestal: Alys "Crash" Ongwa considered Nomar Tralmat, the Father of Finance, to be one of the more respectable politicians on Corellia, until she learned that he was collaborating with the Nihil.
Faking the Dead: Many on Corellia presumed Nomar Tralmat to be either dead or missing around the time Nihil started showing up on their world. In truth, he used his disappearance to slip into the Nihil's ranks.
The Quisling: He is a major political figure on Corellia, who has used his influence to not supply the Nihil with Corellia's resources, but also to allow the Nihil a secret foothold in the Core Worlds.
Refuge in Audacity: As Nomar Tralmat, he took advantage of many Corellians' presumptions that the Nihil were entirely an Outer Rim problem and that the Core Worlds were safe. This allowed him to set up a masquerade ball where everyone was wearing Nihil masks in plain sight, with Ram Jomaram (who remembers very well the casualties the Nihil caused on his homeworld of Valo) considering it to be an incredibly tasteless joke at best (if not everyone at the ball was actually Nihil).
The Starscream: He plots alongside Sabata Krill to have Krix killed.

Assets of the Nihil

Mari San Tekka

Species: Human

Appearances: Light of the Jedi | The Rising Storm | Out of the Shadows

An older member of the San Tekka clan, used by Marchion Ro to conduct his plans for the Great Disaster.

And I Must Scream: Marchion has her hooked up to a medical pod to keep her alive, using her "gift" to control his ship and calculate Paths, and she has no idea what he's doing to her.
Fling a Light into the Future: Knowing her end is close, Mari passes on one final path to Vernestra Rwoh after guiding the Jedi to her that leads someplace outside the galaxy where "no living thing should go" that had not been travelled to in a long time, but which Mari believes will be of great importance to Vernestra in the future.
The Navigator: She has a very rare natural Force ability that allows her to find temporary "paths" through hyperspace that would normally be impossible to utilize. This made her invaluable to the San Tekkas when she was younger, and eventually led to her kidnapping and exploitation by an ancestor of Ro.
Obliviously Evil: Has no idea that the Paths she is charting are being used for malicious purposes. Loden Greatstorm's presence aboard the Gaze Electric reawakens enough of her mind to realize what is happening and provide him encouragement and strength to break out.
Telepath: After her mind is reawakened by Loden, she thanks him telepathically and later reaches out to Vernestra Rwoh, guiding the young Knight to her.

Great Leveler

The Great Leveler

Species: Nameless

Homeworld: Dalna

Appearances: Path of Deceit | The Battle of Jedha | The High Republic (2022) | The Rising Storm | The High Republic (2021)

A particularly unique Nameless with historical connections to the Ro family, originally gifted as an egg by the smuggler Radicaz "Sunshine" Dobbs to the Path of the Open Hand's Mother. Sometime later, it was frozen and sealed away in a shrine on Rystan and worshipped by them before being captured by Marchion and weaponized by the Nihil 150 years later.

For the Nameless as a species, see their entry on the Other Force Users and Beings page.

Ancestral Weapon: While the Nameless as a species has been weaponized by the Ro family in both the Path of the Open Hand and the Nihil, the Great Leveler individually has strong connections to them, being the first Nameless weaponized by both factions. While most of the other Nameless seem to have disappeared and been isolated to their homeworld before the Great Disaster, the Leveler was uniquely kept in storage.
Attack Animal: After Marchion gets his hands on the Great Leveler, he and the Nihil weaponize it against Jedi in horrifying fashion, with Kisma Uttersond making some modifications to it, such as attaching a camera to it for research purposes. In The Fallen Star, the Nihil get their hands on several more of the Nameless and use them to attack Starlight Beacon.
Body Horror: If the concept art is anything to go by, the Great Leveler is noticeably malnourished compared to the other Nameless, with the implication that the Ro family and the Path of the Open Hand starved them to exploit against Jedi. Said art also seems to suggest that the camera Doctor Uttersond attached to it was grafted into its chest cavity.
Knight of Cerebus: Phase I of The High Republic starts off fairly hopeful, with the Jedi successfully nullifying the damage of the Great Disaster, the Nihil being well-equipped raiders with unusual tech at worst, and the Drengir being a lighter shade of Eldritch Abomination that while persistent in spreading themselves, the Jedi are able to come out on top of. That all changes when Marchion Ro gets his hands on the Great Leveler, whose killing of Loden Greatstorm causes a sense of dread in the Jedi Order. And it gets worse from there.
Lean and Mean: While most Nameless seem to have a bit of muscle on them, the Leveler is distinctively larger yet bone thin.
Light Is Not Good: It's even paler than other Nameless, but that not does make it any less dangerous to Force users.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: "Great Leveler" is an on-the-nose summation of what this creature can do to Jedi. The names its species have gone by are also red flags.
Rapid Aging: Shortly after feeding on Jedi Master Zallah Macri, the Leveler goes from about the size of a house cat to a mountain lion mere minutes after hatching from its egg.
Sealed Evil in a Can: Before being found by the Nihil, the Leveler was locked deep away in a glacier with lots of security. However, while being frozen keeps it from attacking, it doesn't stop it from overwhelming Force-users' senses by its presence alone, as Udi Diss found out. The Leveler was even able to cause a sense of unease in Kor Plouth, a Force-sensitive member of the Path of the Open Hand, when it was just an egg.

Characters / Star Wars - The Nihil

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Leadership

Eye of the Nihil

Marchion Ro

Species: Evereni

Asgar Ro

Species: Evereni

Tempest Runners

Lourna Dee

Species: Twi'lek

Homeworld: Aaloth

Zeetar

Species: Talpini

Kara Xoo

Species: Quarren

Zan Avan

Species: Frong

Kassav Milliko

Species: Weequay

Homeworld: Sriluur

Pan Eyta

Species: Dowutin

Homeworld: Dowut

Others

The Eye's Staff

Thaya Ferr

Species: Human

Kisma Uttersond

Species: Chadra-Fan

Nan

Species: Human

Krix Kamerat

Species: Human

Udi Dis

Species: Talortai

Homeworld: Talor

Hague

Species: Zabrak

Lourna Dee's Tempest

Tasia

Species: Cathar

Quin

Species: Bival

Muglan

Species: Gloovan

Kassav Milliko's Tempest

Gwishi and Klinith Da

Species: Aqualish (Gwishi), Human (Klinith Da)

Kara Xoo's Tempest

Doctor Zadina Mkampa

Species: Human (Cyborg)

Deva Lompop

Krix Kamerat's Cell

Sabata Krill

Species: Er'Kit

Nomar Tralmat (Respriler)

Species: Human

Homeworld: Corellia

Assets of the Nihil

Mari San Tekka

Species: Human

The Great Leveler

Species: Nameless

Homeworld: Dalna

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