We know that Vader redeemed himself in Return of the Jedi. Luke had already sensed “the good in him” and foresaw Vader’s redemption. However, another Jedi had this vision before Luke. This one Jedi saw how the Republic and galaxy could be restored before it even happened.
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The Jedi Who First Saw Vader’s Redemption
Sha Koon, niece of Plo Koon, saw Vader’s redemption. Sha Koon survived Order 66 and lured Vader into the ruins of the Jedi Temple to kill him. They dueled extensively, but Vader was too powerful. Before she died, Sha Koon had a vision of “the fall of the Emperor, the redemption of Anakin Skywalker, and the return of the Jedi Order.” This is a climactic moment, and we may wonder what led her to it.
As a Kel Dor female Jedi Knight, Sha Koon began her training under Yoda. Before her major encounter with Vader, she had worked with her uncle Plo Koon to bring an end to the Stark Hyperspace War in 44 BBY. Sha Koon also had a couple of Padawans and fought in several battles during the Clone Wars.
She diverted from the war, though, soon after Dooku died to carry out research at the Jedi Archives on Coruscant. Sha Koon sought to discover the identity of the hidden Sith Lord that was orchestrating the Republic’s downfall. While working at the Archives, Koon escaped from Anakin/Vader’s attack on the Temple.
Within weeks, though, Sha Koon decided to lay a trap for Vader, which ended with her revelation and death. She realized before her death that it was not her that would save the galaxy but Vader’s sacrifice.
Details About Sha Koon’s Encounter with Vader
The Dark Horse comic Purge–Second to Die explores Sha Koon’s journey from Jedi to visionary. We discover that she sensed the death of Plo Koon and escaped through a secret passageway when Vader/Anakin and the troopers came for her. She then hid and planned her trap for Vader.
In her encounter with Vader, Sha Koon relied on Cthons to attack him and an electric net to short-circuit his suit. Using her own lightsaber skills too, she nearly defeated Vader.
As she was about to die, Sha Koon said, “The Force shows me … what will be.” Her vision included, “A son, a daughter. Strong in the Force, Skywalker’s children.” And, “The Jedi reborn. Renewed.” Hence, Koon had a comprehensive vision, including Vader’s “Turning on his master…Bringing the balance.”
Why Was Sha Koon the Jedi Who Saw Vader’s Redemption?
This moment with Vader was climactic and fitting for a Jedi with Sha Koon’s unique abilities. As this thread highlights, Koon had many qualities that made her stand out as a Jedi and appropriate for her to see Vader’s redemption.
Not only was she strong with the Force, but Sha Koon was gifted with Farsight, or the power to “look into the future or the past and receive visions from the Force.” She tapped into that ability when she lost her duel to Vader. Farsight was a power the Jedi taught students but only a few demonstrated their mastery of it. Yoda was one of them, along with Anakin and Obi-Wan.
Sha Koon as the Jedi who envisions Vader’s redemption is only surprising because she is less prominent in canon and Legends than other Jedi. Yet, by reviewing her record, we get a sense of how she was perfect to know about it before this pivotal development before anyone else.
As the below video recaps, Sha Koon was “one of the only Jedi of the old Order who ever came close to defeating Darth Vader,” one of the few survivors of Order 66, searched the archives for the hidden Sith Lord, and had the temerity to try to defeat Vader and the Emperor. It seemed like her destiny to discover what would unfold by Return of the Jedi.
Sha Koon and Vader’s Redemption
Sha Koon was uniquely fit to progress to the moment when she dueled with Vader and envisioned what was to come before she died. In her final seconds, she understood that Vader/Anakin himself would aid the return of the Jedi and bring balance to the galaxy.