Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Confirms Surprising Backstory For One of its Best Characters

The Star Wars: Skeleton Crew finale, “The Real Good Guys,” touches on Ja Na Nawood’s backstory, confirming a surprising detail about the character. During a tense scene in which Jod is threatening Wim’s father Wendle, the pirate reveals that he actually did receive some Jedi training during his youth. In an effort to disprove Wim’s belief that “the good guys” are coming to save At Attin from the pirate crew, Jod shares a story about a Jedi finding him when he was “living in a hole in the ground.” “She may have been desperate, and ragged like me but she told me I had potential,” Jod says.

Unfortunately, Jod’s partnership with the Jedi wasn’t meant to last. His training had only just begun before they were tracked down by unknown assailants. “They made me watch whilst they killed her,” Jod says in conclusion, illustrating his viewpoint that the galaxy is a cruel place with only slivers of light to grasp onto.

While promoting Skeleton Crew prior to its premiere, Lucasfilm billed Jod Na Nawood as a Force-sensitive being, but the character’s true nature was a mystery that ran throughout the season. As the episodes went on, there seemed to be mounting evidence that Jod was not a Jedi. His inability to properly wield a lightsaber appeared to be a giveaway, and the fact that he seemingly used the Force on only metal objects (which can be controlled by magnets) made viewers believe Jod was using some tricks of the trade to pretend to be a powerful Force user to gain an advantage.

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The revelations in “The Real Good Guys” provide an explanation for why Jod is so inexperienced in the Jedi arts. Based on his story, he did not receive any formal training at the Jedi Temple; any lessons he learned were most likely on the run while he was paired up with the unnamed Jedi. Given the circumstances, she probably only had time to go over the basics. If their time together wasn’t tragically cut short, then perhaps Jod would have eventually learned how to skillfully use a lightsaber and further develop his Force abilities. As it stands, he’s trying to make the most of his limited training.

During the episode, Jod provides only a brief recap of the events, skirting over details like who killed his Jedi companion. Given Jod’s description of her as “desperate, and ragged,” it’s plausible that this occurred in the aftermath of Order 66. Jod’s master was most likely a fugitive hiding from the Empire, doing whatever she had to do to stay alive. Of course, during that time, Darth Vader and the Inquisitors were hunting down any Jedi who survived the Great Jedi Purge, so it’s reasonable to assume that Inquisitors tracked Jod and his master down.

Jod’s backstory would be a compelling thread for Lucasfilm to explore down the line, but it remains to be seen if that will happen. As of this writing, Skeleton Crew has not been renewed for a second season, though there are rumors characters from the show will appear in Dave Filoni’s New Republic era movie. Considering Skeleton Crew‘s positive reviews and Jude Law’s terrific performance as Jod, it would be a missed opportunity if the studio never revisited the character and fleshed him out further. Even if Jod isn’t seen on-screen again, his abbreviated Jedi training could be the subject of a canon novel or comic book series, taking advantage of Star Wars’ cross-medium nature.