Who was Cham Syndulla, and is he any relation to Hera? ‘Star Wars’ lore and genealogy, explained

If the world of Star Wars was real, Cham Syndulla‘s name would be written large in the pages of history. For years, he was a symbol of rebellion on the Twi’lek homeworld of Ryloth. His heroics during the Clone Wars led to him being nicknamed “The Hammer of Ryloth.”

The heroic tale of Cham Syndulla

He began his career by forming a largely peaceful movement to reform his home planet. But Syndulla’s motives may have included a lust for power, even if it was in the name of securing freedom for the oppressed people of Ryloth. Syndulla’s bitter political rival — Senator Orn Free Taa — certainly thought so as he described Cham as an unpredictable and untrustworthy radical.

Cham put aside peace during the Clone Wars when Emir Wat Tambor led a Separatist Droid Army in a brutal invasion of Ryloth. Overnight, Cham was forced to turn his peaceful movement into an armed insurrection, renaming it the Twi’lek Resistance.

Try as he might, Syndulla could not hope to liberate his conquered world alone and eventually accepted the help of the Jedi in the form of General Mace Windu. After many battles, the planet was liberated and Tambor was captured.

But this new freedom was short-lived. Darth Sidious infamously transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Ryloth, by now a cradle of war and suffering, was once again occupied by oppressors, this time in the form of the Imperials. Seizing any chance for peace, Cham initially hoped that the Empire could be reasoned with. However, it quickly became necessary for him to take up arms again, this time in a protracted guerrilla war.

Eventually, Ryloth was freed when the Empire abandoned the planet. In the years afterward, it was recognized that Cham Syndulla and his resistance had been instrumental in securing freedom for the Twi’lek people, making him a legend in the Star Wars franchise.

How is Hera Syndulla a part of Cham’s story?

Around the time he started the peaceful reform movement, Cham married the Twi’lek woman Elemi, and they had a daughter called Hera, who would eventually become a legacy Rebel fighter. Hera quickly became a world-class pilot – a talent she used to great effect in combating the evil excesses of the Imperials.

It was obvious that Cham cared deeply for his daughter and was both proud of and disturbed by her martial skill, once saying to her: “That fiery spirit. You remind me of myself at your age. But I want more for you, Hera. Fighting… it takes a toll. My hope is that you won’t ever have to live a life like mine.”

At one point, Hera and her rebel friends were captured by the Imperial Captain Slavin, who demanded Cham’s surrender. If Cham did not come in peacefully, he threatened to execute Hera. Brave as ever, Cham agreed to the exchange, assuming that he was giving up his life to save his daughters. Fortunately, the quick-thinking Hera had ordered explosives to be set around the building where the exchange would take place. When they detonated, the Imperial troops were knocked out and this allowed Hera and her friends to escape.