Sarus

"The tides of fate are impossible to stop once destiny takes her course."

- Sarus

Sarus was the leader of the Ophuchi Clan during the time of the Invasion of Utapau. He met with Annikin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and a group of outsiders and brought them to the Dune Sea to reveal important information to them at the Ophuchi underground village.

Early life
Sarus was born on Tatooine into the Ophuchi Clan, a group that had been labeled "crazy old wizards" by locals in the settlements. As a young man had traveled to the far corners to Tatooine and back, and was always able to find out something new about himself by searching within, which he always believed was the true test of the desert wastes. He knew that while some preferred lush, green worlds, Sarus could not see himself living anywhere else.

Revelations
When the starship carrying Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jard Dooku and Sabé Arcadia crashed a few kilometers just outside of, Sarus and the Ophuchi believed that it signified the arrival of the Argus. Nearly forty-eight hours later, he led a group of his people to the crashed starship that Annikin Skywalker had been helping to repair to get the attention of the people at the Lars homestead. Shortly thereafter, Annikin arrived with Obi-Wan, Dooku, Arcadia, Jar Binks and a group of Utapau guards. Sarus told them that he needed to speak with Annikin and the two Jedi, and they agreed to go with him on a pilgrimage into the Dune Sea, as did Arcadia and Binks.

After walking for nearly eight hours through the nighttime desert into the Dune Sea, Sarus and the group arrived at the Ophuchi compound where they found that it was a self-sufficient village underneath the ground. The compound even had moisture along the walls, which Sarus knew surprised the group considering the eighteen year long drought that had plagued the planet. When they arrived in the main chamber, Sarus revealed that the hermits were part of what was called the Ophuchi Clan. He then led them to a feast that had been prepared in their honor. They were all greatly taken aback by the generous hospitality, but they accepted it and all sat down for the meal. After Sarus led the group in a blessing of the food, they all began to eat and enjoy the bounty that had been placed before them, considering the journey they had just taken.

To break the silence, Annikin asked who the person in a statue on the way in was, and Sarus told him that it was a prophet, though the Ophuchi could not speak his name because they were not worthy to do so. Sarus went on to discuss a brief history of the Ophuchi people, saying they had once been part of the Jedi Order. He also discussed how some of his people tried to become part of normal society, though the locals feared them and the Trade Federation enslaved them. Arcadia was not sure if she believed it because of new anti-slavery laws the had imposed for the Outer Rim and other outlying territories, and tension between her and Sarus rose when he essentially called her naïve. To lower the tension, Dooku asked why they had been brought all the way out to the Dune Sea, so when they were finished eating Sarus brought them into a catacomb and led them towards an ancient sanctuary where he would explain what he needed to discuss with them.

Behind the scenes
The character of Sarus was originally one of two leaders of the hermit clan, the other being a more youthful character named Ray'Kele. However, Brandon Rhea combined the two characters together to make the roles more meaningful and dramatic. He also based the character on, the leader of the Freman tribe in ,  and .

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode I - The Chosen One