Janus Greejatus/Legends

Janus Greejatus was a Human male Dark Side Adept and an Advisor to Galactic Emperor Palpatine. From an early age, while growing up on his homeworld of Chommell Minor, Greejatus bore unbridled hatred toward non-Humans, since they had damaged his family's finances severely in years prior. Greejatus and Palpatine became acquainted before either of them entered politics, as young members of the Legislative Youth Program. Entering Chommell Minor politics, Greejatus earned the notice of Palpatine, elected to the position of senator of the Chommell sector in 52 BBY. When Palpatine became Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Greejatus succeeded him as senator, but was soon drummed out of the office by influential politicians on Naboo, who disagreed with his closed-border policies.

Palpatine offered Greejatus a new role: that of advisor to the Supreme Chancellor. The Chommell Minor native accepted, and continued to serve Palpatine in that role when the Supreme Chancellor made himself Galactic Emperor, and transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Under the new regime, Greejatus became a member of the Imperial Ruling Council, helped shape the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order, and was trained in the ways of the dark side of the Force, becoming a Dark Side Adept. He also founded the Imperial Department of Redesign—a secretive team dedicated to the suppression and elimination of non-Human species. Greejatus later attempted to convince Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin to seize power, and was found out by Palpatine. The Emperor subsequently decided to keep Greejatus on a tighter leash, bringing him to the Death Star II in 4 ABY. Greejatus perished during the Battle of Endor, when the Rebel Alliance destroyed the battle station.

Biography

Early life

Janus Greejatus, was a Force-sensitive Human male.

Greejatus founded the Imperial Department of Redesign—an obscure agency dedicated to the suppression and liquidation of non-Human species. Among its most secretive projects was "The Heart of Steel", overseen by Grand Moff 4-8C. The aim of the project was to create a way to control any computer in the galaxy at will, and it was so closely guarded that not even Imperial Intelligence or Imperial High Command knew of its existence. Over time, Greejatus realized that he could develop his own projects without Palpatine's permission or observation, and his ambition grew as a result.

Ambition

Greejatus

When Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin completed his planet-destroying superweapon, the Death Star, Greejatus served as an advisor on the battlestation. While there, he attempted to convince Tarkin to seize power with the battlestation, but both the Death Star and Tarkin were later destroyed by the Alliance to Restore the Republic at the Battle of Yavin. Palpatine learned of Greejatus' encouragement of Tarkin, and decided to keep the Chommell Minor native close at hand. At some stage, Greejatus and Aloo featured in an advertisement for the latest BlasTech Industries blaster. Four years later, Palpatine brought Greejatus along with him to the Death Star II, which was being constructed over the forest moon of Endor.

Greejatus, Aloo, and Palpatine confer aboard the Death Star II.

Joined by Aloo, Kren Blista-Vanee, and other advisors, Greejatus accompanied Palpatine as he was given a large reception in one of the Death Star II's docking bays. Along with Aloo, he later sat in on a meeting between Palpatine, Lord Darth Vader, and Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod, in which the Emperor ordered Vader to send the Imperial fleet amassed at Endor to the far side of the moon, where it would remain until ordered to move by Palpatine. Vader was concerned about the reports of an Alliance to Restore the Republic fleet amassing at Sullust for a strike against the battlestation, but the Emperor was not worried in the slightest, as he intended to trap the attackers with the soon-to-be-hidden fleet, and summarily destroy his enemies with the station's operational superlaser. Sure enough, the station was attacked by the Alliance to Restore the Republic, in a pivotal battle of the Galactic Civil War. Contrary to Palpatine's expectations, General Lando Calrissian and Wedge Antilles succeeded in destroying the station during the battle, and Greejatus, along with the other advisors, perished in the ensuing explosion.

Personality and traits

Palpatine, Greejatus, Aloo, and Vader

A cruel man at heart, Greejatus had been raised to hate non-Humans. His hatred for them ran deep enough for him to put it across in his political views—although he was skilled in masking his beliefs in order to rise to prominence on Chommell Minor, he was disliked on Naboo, which cost him his position as senator of the Chommell sector. In his own eyes, he was good friends with Palpatine, and his skill in the political arena afforded him longevity as one of the Supreme Chancellor's, later Emperor's, advisors. Later in his career, he founded the Imperial Department of Redesign—an organization whose objectives matched his political view on non-Humans closely. Greejatus lusted for power his whole life, however, and that ambition would later cost him his autonomy, as he was forced to stay close to Palpatine following his encouragement of Tarkin to rebel. He was also a predictable man, and easy to control. Greejatus could manipulate and utilize the Force to some extent, and, in his capacity as a Dark Side Adept, he served the Emperor faithfully, on occasion. Greejatus had brown hair and light skin.

Behind the scenes

"I mean, I don't know about you guys, but Janus Greejatus and his buddy Sim Aloo have literally provoked the thought, in my mind, of 'What's their story?' So I suppose doing Greejatus' story 'justice' so to speak was both daunting and exciting."

―Timothy S. Maddocks

The BlasTech advert from Star Wars: Behind the Magic

The character of Janus Greejatus first appeared in the novelization of Richard Marquand's 1983 film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. He and Palpatine's other advisors were referred to by author James Kahn as "the Emperor's courtiers". In the film itself, Greejatus was portrayed by an unnamed background extra. The character's costume was designed by Nilo Rodis-Jamero, who based the costume on that of a Catholic bishop. An image of the character later appeared in Bill Slavicsek's West End Games sourcebook, the Death Star Technical Companion, published in 1991. In that book, however, the character was intended to be Ars Dangor, until in 2001, he was identified as "Janus Greejatus" in the "Death Star II Limited" set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game. In the 1998 CD-ROM Star Wars: Behind the Magic, the character's image was used in a fictional advertisement for the "BlasTech" company.

Appearances

• Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novelization (First appearance)
• Return of the Jedi 2

Sources

• Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Coloring Book (Luke Skywalker) (Picture only)
• Death Star Technical Companion
• Heir to the Empire Sourcebook (Picture only)
• Star Wars: Behind the Magic
• Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary (Picture only)
• Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
•  Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Death Star II Limited (Card: Janus Greejatus) (backup link) (First identified as Janus Greejatus)
•  Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Death Star II Limited (Card: Royal Escort) (backup link) (Picture only)
•  Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Reflections II: Expanding the Galaxy (Card: The Emperor) (backup link) (Picture only)

External links

• "Behind the scenes: Janus Greejatus" – I don't get it, no one stopped them last time!, Timothy S. Maddocks's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; archived from the original)