Satele Shan was a human female who was the Jedi Grand Master during the Cold War and the Galactic War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. She was a descendant of the Jedi Knights Revan and Bastila Shan. Shan was trained by Ngani Zho and later studied under Battlemaster Kao Cen Darach. With Darach, she witnessed the return of the Sith Empire in 3681 BBY and she fled with the Smuggler Nico Okarr and Republic Trooper Jace Malcom to warn the Republic of the Sith’s return.
She eventually achieved the rank of Jedi Knight and led Jedi and the Republic Military into battle in the Great Galactic War. While in the war, she grew close to and eventually entered a relationship with Jace Malcom which resulted in a son named Theron Shan. Fighting in the battle Alderaan, she greatly injured the Sith Lord Darth Malgus and led the battle to a Republic Victory.
Satele would eventually become the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and was given a seat on the Jedi High Council. She would be a key player in aiding the individual that became known as “The Hero of Tython,” reach Jedi Knighthood, and after the Hero defeated the Sith Emperor Viciate, she bestowed upon the hero the title of Battlemaster.
After the Rise of the Hutt Cartel, and fighting the Order of Revan, a mysterious group called the Eternal Empire conquered both the Republic and Sith Empire Shan, disheartened by the casualties the Jedi suffered under her leadership renounced her title and went into exile on the planet Odessen where she watched from afar the individual known as the Outlander. Shan would eventually returned to Coruscant where she began training a new group of Jedi.
Being an ancestor of Revan and Bastilla Shan, Satele was very strong in the force. Shan was strong with telekinesis as was demonstrated when she toppled a mountain on top of Darth Malgus during the Battle of Alderaan.
Shan was also talented in the art of tutimenus. She not only was able to block blaster bolts with her hands she was even able to block Malgus’ lightsaber with her bare, although this requires intense concentration to pull off.
Shan used a blue-bladed saberstaff in the years of the before the Great Galactic War, but this one was lost in her escape form Korriban. She created a second saberstaff but that one was destroyed in her battle with Darth Malgus. She for time used a single blade green lightsaber but eventually exchanged it for another blue bladed saberstaff.
Satele was a master duelist even as a padawan, and as a knight she could take down multiple Sith and battle droids at once. Based on cut scenes in the Old Republic game, I think Satele uses form VI Niman, since she uses martial arts in her attacks and also considering the fact she uses a double-bladed lightsaber for most of her appearances.
I first encountered the Grand Master like many others in the Old Republic Video game, a game I greatly enjoy by the way. She was a character that was definitely portrayed as a strong female leader. I personally thought that she was an interesting one and one we could have more of.
Although a key player in the game, in the material that was C-canon, there wasn’t much. Two books, Fatal Alliance and Annihilation, in which she was a supporter and a few comic appearances. I would have loved a novel on the character. They made one for Malgus who was really the face of the dark side for advertisements for the game, but Satele, who was the face for the light side, didn’t get one. Personally, I would have wanted more.
Satele is a character who I find more interesting than Bastilla. That might be sacrilegious to say, (I don’t hate Bastilla in no way shape or form) but for me, I find the Grand Master of the Order to be much more interesting character to read about and study.