Kit Fisto Bio – The Jedi Master with a Constant Smile on His Face

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Kit Fisto was one of the first Jedi I ever saw smile. He gave me hope that not all of them were solemn, making me love him from his very first appearance in Attack of the Clones. His character was fleshed out more in the Clone Wars TV series, and his power as a Jedi was highlighted tremendously.

In this bio, we’re going to look at Kit Fisto’s journey as a Jedi Master in the time of the Clone Wars to his eventual demise at the hands of Sheev Palpatine.

Bottom Line Up Front: Kit Fisto was a Nautolan Jedi Master who served on the High Council during the Clone Wars. While he took the role of a Jedi Consular and preferred negotiating, he also served as a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic.

He was involved in multiple skirmishes during the Clone Wars, with his most notable one being when he helped reunite the people on Mon Cala. He was killed by Chancellor Palpatine after it was unveiled that he was the hidden Sith Lord that the Jedi were looking for.

Description/Overview

Kit Fisto

Kit Fisto was a Nautolan male, meaning he was born on the planet, Glee Anselm. It’s a planet with harsh conditions, and the amphibious Nautalons have learned to thrive there along with their cousin species, the Anselmi.

Something unique about Kit Fisto and the Nautolans is that they can use their head tentacles to sense the emotional states of other beings. Kit Fisto often used this ability when he was negotiating with other beings.

We don’t know too much about Fisto’s early life on his home planet, but we can assume that he was recognized to be Force-sensitive and recruited by the Jedi Order. He became a Jedi Knight a while before the beginning of the Clone Wars, leading him to become a Master around the same time that Obi-Wan Kenobi did.

At one point, he was tasked with training a Padawan named, Nahdar Vebb. Nahdar Veb was a Mon Calamari Jedi, leading the two of them to have a shared connection of being amphibious. Kit Fisto taught Nahdar Vebb well for a while, but they parted ways just before Vebb became a fully-fledged Jedi Knight.

The Battle of Geonosis

Kit Fisto played a key role in the Battle of Geonosis. This was when Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Padmè Amidala were captured on the planet. Mace Windu and a group of 200 Jedi arrived at an arena where they were being held captive.

Kit Fisto along with the rest of the Jedi then fought against hundreds of the Separatists’ newly made droid army. Many of the Jedi died in this battle, but Kit Fisto was one of the survivors.

As the Jedi were rounded into a circle and about to be executed, Jedi Grand Master Yoda arrived with the Republic’s newly recruited clone army to save the day. The Battle of Geonosis commenced and the Clone Wars officially started.

Kit Fisto became a Jedi General in the war, being sent on multiple missions on varying planets to progress the Republic’s war effort. While some of his skirmishes were minor, a few of them were incredibly important for multiple reasons.

The first notable mission the Fisto was sent on was to capture Nute Gunray after he had escaped imprisonment on the Tranquility. Fisto took a group of clones and his old Padawan, Nahdar Vebb, to capture the Viceroy. Unknown to them, they chased the Viceroy into the lair of General Grievous, a vicious Jedi killer and leader of the droid army.

No More Companions

Kit Fisto

Grievous killed all of Kit Fisto’s companions, including his old Padawan. Grievous then fought with Kit Fisto, and Fisto almost defeated Grievous, displaying his mastery over lightsaber dueling.

Kit Fisto was one of the best duelists in the Jedi Order, and Grievous experienced that firsthand. It was only when a group of MagnaGuards came that Fisto had to retreat. He left the planet after losing everyone around him.

Another notable skirmish that Kit Fisto was a part of was when he led a rescue on a ship that had been infested with parasitical worms from Geonosis. The worms were infecting the clones and Jedi onboard, and they were turning on each other.

Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano were the Jedi aboard the ship, and Ahsoka was in contact with Fisto regarding the rescue. Fisto took a group of clones to save everyone after Ahsoka was informed that extreme cold would subdue the worms.

Perhaps the most important skirmish that Kit Fisto was part of was the war on Mon Cala between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren.

Some of the Quarren had been persuaded to join the Separatist army, so they went to war with the Mon Cala people after the Mon Cala king was murdered. The whole planet was submerged underwater, so Kit Fisto was the perfect Jedi to help in the battle.

Fisto’s Excellent Command

Although Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano helped as well, it was Kit Fisto that ran the operation and consulted with the Mon Cala prince. During this war, Fisto displayed his excellent command of the Force underwater, making him an asset on the Mon Cala side. Things didn’t go as planned, causing a group of them to go into hiding and eventually be captured.

The Mon Cala prince was about to be executed, but the Quarren Chieftain saved him. The Quarren people realized how bad the planet would be if it were under Separatist control. So, the Quarren and Mon Calamari people reunited again to fight them off the planet.

After this group of events, Kit Fisto remained mostly at his seat on the Jedi High Council. He can be seen constantly listening and giving input in multiple matters that the Jedi had to deal with throughout the Clone War.

Three years into the war, Palpatine revealed himself as the true Dark Lord of the Sith to Anakin Skywalker. While Anakin was conflicted about this information, he revealed it to Mace Windu so that the Jedi could arrest the Chancellor.

Now knowing that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, Windu knew that he wouldn’t be an easy target to capture. So, he gathered a group of the best Jedi masters present at the time to accompany him with the arrest. Kit Fisto was one of the accompanying masters along with Saesee Tiin and Agen Kolar.

When they arrived at Palpatine’s office, Palpatine attacked them. He easily cut down Saesee Tiin and Agen Kolar. Kit Fisto lasted a bit longer, but he was cut down and killed as well.

Key Moments

Kit Fisto

  • Kit Fisto is discovered to be Force-sensitive and is recruited to join the Jedi Order.
  • He passes all the trials and becomes a Jedi Knight. He then takes on Nahdar Vebb as a Padawan.
  • Kit Fisto forms part of the Jedi group that attempts to save Padmè Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis.
  • He survives the battle in the arena and continues fighting in the Battle of Geonosis.
  • He becomes a member of the Jedi High Council.
  • Kit Fisto encounters General Grievous in his lair. Grievous kills Fisto’s former Padawan, and Fisto escapes the ordeal after fighting Grievous for a while.
  • Kit Fisto rescues Ahsoka Tano and Barris Offee after their ship gets infected with parasitical worms from Geonosis.
  • Kit Fisto aids in the battle on Mon Cala between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren.
  • He continues to serve on the Jedi High Council and be part of many debates and events.
  • He goes with Mace Windu along with Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin to arrest Chancellor Palpatine.
  • Kit Fisto is killed by Palpatine.

Kit Fisto Themes

Humorous and Easy-Going Nature

The thing I love most about Kit Fisto is his lighthearted nature. Most of the Jedi we see in the Star Wars universe are grim and gloomy. I can’t even imagine someone like Mace Windu laughing at a joke. So, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a Jedi Master of the High Council approach things with a smile on his face.

His first appearance was in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. He had no dialogue, but he stole the show when there was a scene of him Force pushing C3PO down and giving him a cheeky smile afterward. That scene established him as the happy Jedi he was known to be.

We see him smiling and taking things lightly for the rest of the Clone Wars TV series. However, he’s also quite serious when he needs to be. So, the balance is excellent. They gave him a Jamaican accent in the TV series, further expressing the laidback nature that he has.

Encounter with Palpatine

Kit Fisto Encounter with Palpatine

Star Wars is an incredibly large intellectual property. There are books, movies, comic books, and video games. All of these are filled with stories of all kinds with varying characters.

With so much going on, it’s natural for a few things to be despised by some fans. One of the biggest movie scenes that most Star Wars fans detest is when Mace Windu and the Jedi try to arrest Palpatine.

While the overall scene itself is excellent and full of tension, the speed at which Palpatine kills the three Jedi masters is quite disappointing. I remember thinking how excellent the fight sequence would be.

Having a Sith Lord fight four Jedi masters at one time was sure to be a spectacle. However, Palpatine kills Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin, and Agen Kolar in just a few seconds.

After years of contemplating this and talking to friends about it, the conclusion is that Palpatine was just that powerful. If you read the novelization of the movie, it draws the battle out for a bit longer, but it also explains how Palpatine was so fast that the Jedi masters could hardly see him moving. It’s difficult to reflect that on the big screen, though.

Kit Fisto lasted a bit longer than the other two masters, showing how he was the superior lightsaber duelist. Mace Windu lasted the longest against Palpatine and very nearly killed him, perfectly exhibiting how he was the strongest fighter in the Jedi Order.

Legends Continuity

Kit Fisto’s Legends story is mostly the same as his story in Canon. He starts as a Jedi Knight and does so well in the Clone Wars that he gets appointed to the Jedi High Council. However, the skirmishes play out differently in Legends.

The most notable one is the battle on Mon Cala between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren. In Legends, Kit Fisto is so powerful that he practically takes on armies by himself. He’s so powerful in using the Force underwater that he single-handedly destroys submarines.

Another notable thing about Fisto’s Legends story is that he forms a relationship with another Jedi Master, Aayla Secura. He saves her life during a battle on Kamino and the two of them develop feelings for each other. They never fully commit to the feelings, though, as they decide to stay more loyal to the Jedi Order than to each other.

There are no signs or hints of this relationship in the Canon continuity. It’s arguably better like that as it’s good to see Jedi that solidly stick to having no attachments compared to Jedi such as Anakin or Obi-Wan who have attachments to Padmè and Satine Kryze.

Special Abilities

Kit Fisto

When it came to lightsaber dueling, not many were better than Kit Fisto in the Jedi Order. He was widely regarded to be one of the best, and this was proven when he almost bested General Grievous in one-on-one combat.

He was also one of the Jedi Masters that Mace Windu handpicked to go with him to arrest Palpatine. Mace Windu trusted his abilities with a lightsaber for that specific task.

Kit Fisto primarily used Form I (Shii-Cho) when fighting. This enabled him to handle many opponents at any given time. He also used Form IV (Ataru) occasionally. This is a more aggressive style that he used when on the offensive.

Kit Fisto was also a gifted Force-user. He used powers such as Force speed and Force jump fairly regularly. However, the most unique thing about him was when he used the Force underwater.

As Kit Fisto was of an amphibious species, he was able to breathe and fight very fluidly in water. He created a few Force powers that weren’t seen being used by other Jedi as they drew on his command of the water.

He was able to shift currents using the Force. He used these when attacking people as well as defending himself. He could also create a ball of stored water energy and shoot it as a projectile toward a target.

They nerfed his powers a bit in the new Canon continuity, but in Legends, he was able to take on whole armies on his own when underwater.

Key Quotes

Kit Fisto

  • “His heart was in the right place, but he tried to answer Grievous’ power with his own.” – Kit Fisto after his former padawan was slain by General Grievous.
  • “Welcome home general. I’m afraid I must request your surrender.” – Kit Fisto always finding humor in things, even when confronting a vicious Jedi killer.
  • “Perhaps you are the one who has changed.” – Kit Fisto sharing his wisdom with his former Padawan, Nahdar Vebb.
  • “You must bring this ship in. The only way to stop these parasites is to analyze them.” – Kit Fisto showing his inquisitive approach to issues while Ahsoka Tano and a group of clone troopers are trapped in a ship with parasitical worms.
  • “The Quarren ambushed us. They were ready to attack long before the peace talks came to an end.” – Kit Fisto in the thick of it during the war on Mon Cala.
  • “It’s the future of all the people on this world. Mon Cala and Quarren, all slaves for Count Dooku.” – Kit Fisto tells the Mon Cala prince their grim future if the Mon Cala and Quarren don’t join together to fight off the Separatists.
  • “Less talking helps.” – Kit Fisto’s advice to Anakin in a difficult situation. He approaches everything with a lighthearted mood.

FAQs

Question: Did Kit Fisto Survive Order 66?

Answer: No. However, he wasn’t betrayed and killed by clone troopers as most of the other Jedi were. He was one of the Jedi Masters that Mace Windu took with him to arrest Chancellor Palpatine after Anakin revealed to them that he was the secret Sith Lord that the Jedi were searching for.
Upon entering Palpatine’s office, the three Jedi Masters that accompanied Mace Windu were easily killed. Kit Fisto lasted longer than the other two, but he was cut down by Palpatine shortly after.
The fact that Windu chose Kit Fisto as one of the Jedi Masters to accompany him shows how powerful he was among the Jedi Order. They knew the potential danger they were walking into, and they assumed their combined strength as Jedi Masters would be enough to handle Palpatine. They were mistaken, though.

Question: Is Kit Fisto Related to the Baby Alien from Men in Black?

Answer: No! It’s a long-running joke that the alien squid from the First Men in Black movie looks like a Nautolan from Star Wars. However, Men in Black came out five years before Kit Fisto’s debut in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
It’s likely that Kit Fisto’s design was inspired by the squid, but there’s no concrete evidence of that being the case. There have been a few instances where aliens from other franchises have made it over to the Star Wars universe, the most popular one being when aliens resembling E.T. can be seen in the Galactic Senate in The Phantom Menace.

Question: Why was Kit Fisto’s Combat Style so Powerful?

Answer: Kit Fisto was one of the few members of the Jedi Order that was able to master Form I of lightsaber combat. Formally known as Shii-Cho, it was intended to be used against groups of enemies, protecting the Jedi from everyone attacking them in the vicinity.
It was because of this that he easily survived the droid assault in the arena during the Battle of Geonosis.
He was even able to incorporate this while dual-wielding lightsabers, making it even harder to pull off. His combat prowess enabled him to go one-on-one with General Grievous and survive. He arguably would have won the battle if he wasn’t outnumbered by MagnaGuards.

Question: Did Kit Fisto Have a Relationship with Aayla Secura?

Answer: In the Star Wars Canon continuity, there is no interest seen between Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura. They have relational chemistry in the Legend’s continuity, though. The two of them shared a close bond and developed feelings for each other.
However, both of them decided to stay loyal to the Jedi Order, and they didn’t pursue each other after deciding to not enter into a relationship. The chemistry remained between them, and they would often feel it when working together on missions during the Clone Wars.
Jedi are not supposed to feel attachments, so they had to suppress their feelings for each other, especially since they were both Jedi Masters.

Conclusion

Kit Fisto is a favorite Jedi of many. All his storylines involve the Clone Wars as nothing has been written about him before that and he died at the hands of Palpatine near the end of the war. If you want to watch him in action, you should watch the Clone Wars TV series. You’ll see him interacting with Jedi and clones, and he’s always got a smile while doing it.

He’s a good benchmark to establish just how powerful Palpatine was. Kit Fisto was one of the best lightsaber duelists in the entire Jedi Order, and Palpatine managed to kill him within a few seconds.

Unfortunately, with so many new shows being based on stories that happen after the Clone Wars, we probably won’t see Kit Fisto again. However, he will always be the iconic Jedi who showed his famous smile on Geonosis.

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